LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CAUFOSWA 
DAVIS 


THE   COMPUMSJfrs  Off 

SAMUEL  H.  SCUUDER. 

\J     JL 


OF   THE 


AMERICAN    ASSOCIATION 


FOR   THE 


ADVANCEMENT  OF  SCIENCE. 


I. 


SALEM,    MASS. 

P.   W.   PUTNAM,   PERMANENT  SECRETARY,  A.  A.  A.  S. 
1875. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CAL1FQRNLA 
TMV1S 


MEMOIRS 


OF   THE 


AMERICAN    ASSOCIATION 


FOR   THE 


ADVANCEMENT  OF  SCIENCE. 


I. 


SALEM,     MASS. 

F.    W.   PUTNAM,   PERMANENT  SECRETARY,  A.  A.  A.  S. 
1875. 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CAI.1FQRNIA 


I'HINTEI)  AT  THE  SALEM  PRESS,  SALEM,  MASS. 


LETTER  OF   GIFT. 


PORTLAND,  Aug.  22,  1873. 

MRS.  ELIZABETH  THOMPSON  of  New  York  City,  to-day  elected  a  member, 
sympathizing  with  the  purposes  of  our  Association  in  the  advancement  of  science, 
and  seeing  the  new  crop  of  young  and  industrious  scientific  investigators  who 
are  to  form  the  future  basis  of  this  Association  following  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
veterans  of  science  who  founded  it,  and  being  aware  of  the  financial  difficulties 
which  often  beset  the  path  of  those  noble  men  of  science  who  labor  more  for 
truth  than  for  profit's  sake,  wishes  to  place  at  the  disposal  of  the  Permanent 
Secretary  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars,  to  be  used  according  to  the  directions 
of  the  Standing  Committee,  for  the  promotion  and  publication  of  such  original 
investigations  by  members  of  the  Association  as  may  be  accepted  by  the  said 
Standing  Committee,  to  be  published  by  means  of  this  special  donation. 

[Signed]  P.  H.  VAN  DER  WEYUE. 

To  the  Standing  Committee  of  the  American 

Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science. 


REPORT 

OF  THE  SPECIAL  COMMITTEE  ON  THE  THOMPSON  FUND,  HARTFORD  MEETING, 

AUGUST,  1874. 

THE  Standing  Committee  of  the  Association  at  the  Portland  Meeting  ap- 
pointed the  undersigned  a  Committee  with  full  power  to  accept  and  print  such 
papers  as  they  might  deem  of  sufficient  importance  to  be  published  by  the  donation 
of  Mrs.  Thompson. 

In  accordance  with  the  duties  assigned  to  them,  the  Committee  have  accepted 
the  Memoir  by  Mr.  Scudder  on  Fossil  Butterflies  as  the  first  paper  to  be  published 
by  the  THOMPSON  FUND,  and  while  regretting  that  the  unavoidable  delay  in 
engraving  the  plates  prevents  their  having  the  gratification  of  presenting  the 
work  at  the  present  Meeting,  they  believe  that  the  Association  and  its  liberal 
patron  will  accept  the  Memoir  as  one  in  every  way  worthy  of  the  honor  thus 
bestowed. 

ASA  GRAY, 

JAMES  HALL, 

THOMAS  HILL, 

P.  H.  VAN  DKB  WEYDE,  }  Committee. 

J.  L.  LfiCoNTE, 

T.  STEKKY  HUNT, 
F.  W.  PUTNAM, 


FOSSIL    BUTTEKFLIES 


BY 


SAMUEL  H.   SCUDDER. 


TO 

COU^T    GASTON  .DE    SAPOETA, 

OF  AIX  IN  PROVENCE, 

WHOSE    EXTENDED    MEMOIRS    ON    THE    FLORA    OF     THE    TERTIARIES    OF     SOUTHERN    FRANCE    FORM    THE    BASIS 
OF    THE    BIOLOGICAL    CONCLUSIONS    OF   THIS    ESSAY  ;    AND    WHOSE    UNWONTED    COURTESIES   HAVE    PERMITT-ED 

A   CAREFUL    EXAMINATION    OF   THE    MOST   IMPORTANT    FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES, 

^ 

THIS   MEMOIR   IS   RESPECTFULLY   INSCRIBED   BY 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


INTRODUCTION xi 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 1 

DESCRIPTIONS  OK  GENERA  AND  SPECIES  OF  FOSSIL  BUTTERFLIES 

NBORINOPIS 9 

1.  Nuorinopis  scpulta 14 

LETHITES • 34 

2.  Lethites  Reynesii 37 

EUGONIA 40 

3.  Eugenia  atava 41 

MYLOTIIIUTES 44 

4.  MyloUuites  Pluto 45 

COLIATES       51 

5.  Collates  Proserpina 52 

PONTIA 53 

6.  Pontia  Freyeri 54 

THAITES 57 

7.  Thaites  Ruminiana .    .  *. 60 


THANATITES 

8.   Thanatites  vetula 


PAMPHILITES 66 

9.   Pamphilites  abdita : 68 

COMPARATIVE  AGE  OF  FOSSIL  BUTTERFLIES 70 

PROBABLE  FOOD  PLANTS  OF  TERTIARY  CATERPILLARS 71 

PRESENT  DISTRIBUTION  OF  BUTTERFLIES  MOST  NEARLY  ALLIED  To  FOSSIL  SPECIES 76 

GENERAL  RESUME,  WITH  NOTICE  OF  UNDETERMINED  FORMS       83 

FOSSIL  INSECTS  ERRONEOUSLY  REFERRED  TO  BUTTERFLIES 88 

EXPLANATION  OF  THE  PLATES  AND  WOOD  CUTS 97 


INTRODUCTORY. 


FTTHE  happy  discovery  in  the  Museum  of  Marseilles  of  a  new  fossil  butterfly 
first  drew  my  special  attention  to  this  group  of  extinct  insects,  and 
determined  me  to  make,  during  my  residence  in  Europe,  a  careful  study  of 
the  original  types  of  all  that  had  been  previously  described.  By  the  great 
courtesy  of  Count  Saporta,  Professor  Heer,  Dr.  Reynes,  Mr.  .Oustalet,  Mr. 
"Woodward,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brodie,  Mr.  Charlesworth,  and  the  authorities  of  the 
Jermyn  street  Museum,  I  was  able  to  study  not  only  all  the  originals  of  the 
Museums  of  Aix,  Marseilles,  Zurich,  Paris,  London,  Cambridge  and  Warwick, 
but  several  new  types,  described  here  for  the  first  time.  As  I  was  unable 
to  visit  Vienna,  Mr.  Brunner  de  "Wattenwyl  was  good  enough  to  procure  for 
me  new  drawings,  made  under  his  immediate  supervision,  of  the  species  from 
Radoboj,  described  by  Heer  and  preserved  in  the  museums  of  that  city.  So  that 
I  have  either  personally  inspected  all  the  fossils  described  within  recent  times  as 
butterflies,  or  have  procured  new  and  excellent  original  drawings  of  them,  with 
the  exception  of  Heer's  Vanessa  attavina  (Sphinx  atava  Charp.),  which  I  was 
unable  to  find,  and  two  fragments  of  slight  value,  viz.:  the  hind  wing  referred 
by  Heer  to  his  Vanessa  Pluto,  and  the  portion  of  a  hind  wing,  called  Cyllonium 
Hewitsonianum  by  "VVestwood.  In  the  hope  of  drawing  attention  to  fossil 
butterflies,  which  have  been  hitherto  so  little  studied,  I  haVe  brought  together 
in  this  connection  all  that  has  been  published  of  this  group  of  fossils,  whether 
of  text  or  illustration;  presenting  thus,  within  a  small  compass,  a  complete 
account  of  our  knowledge  of  these  insects,  as  a  basis  for  future  investigations. 


BIBLIOGEAPHY. 


1726.  HUEBEK.  Lithographiae  Wirceburgensis  specimen  primum.  Fol.  Wirceburg.  This  work  con- 
tains the  first  reference  to  fossil  Lepidoptera  which  I  have  found.  In  his  Synopsis 
Tabellarum,  he  gives  on  page  94 : 

"Tabula  XV.  Similium  insectorum  alatorum  Papilionum  videlicet  diversas  species;"  but  the  plates  are 
too  rude  to  be  of  the  slightest  value  or  even  to  indicate  the  suborder  to  which  the  insects  may 
belong. 

1729.  BROMELL.  Lithographia  Suecana.  Acta  Litteraria  Suecise,  II.  In  a  section  de  lapidibus  insec- 
tiferis  Seanicis  et  Oothicis  (p.  525)  he  says : 

"Praeter  umbratiles  etenim  papilionum  vel  muscarum  quasdam  imagines,  lapidi  huic  leviter  sed  distincte 
irapressas,  multa  scarabseorum  flguras,  mole  totaque  facie  imitantur;"  these  were  found  in  "saxo 
footido"  in  "  Westrogothia. " 

In  his  enumeration  of  fossils  he  specifies  further: 

[528].  "9.  Papilionum  majorum  ac  minorum  imagines  et  impressiones  nitidse,  in  lapide  calcario  com- 
muni  inodoro,  ubi  etiam  in  alio  footido  conspicuse,  ex  eisdem  Westrogothise  locis." 

[629].  "10.  Insectorum  ovula,  an  nymphse  seu  aurelise  lapidese?  saxo  foatido  nigricanti  immersae.  Ex 
eadem  parseciakarabylonga." 

[531].  "  14.  Papilionum  minorum  imagines  et  impressiones,  in  ejusdem  generis  saxo  suillo  foetido.  Ex 
eodem  loco.  Hae  itidem  flgura  sua  a  papilionibus  illis  differre  baud  videntur,  quarum  superius  Num. 
9.  meminimus." 

I  find  no  later  reference  to  these  supposed  Lepidoptera. 

1742.    SENDELIUS.     Historia  succinorum.    Fol.    Lipsiae. 

Devotes  a  chapter  (De-Erucis,  pp.  169-171)  to  supposed  remains  of  caterpillars  and  chrysalides  in  amber. 
Several  forms  are  figured  (pi.  5,  figs.  25-28 ;  pi.  6,  figs.  1-4),  of  which  it  is  not  impossible  that  pi.  6,  fig. 
1,  may  represent  a  Papilionid  larva;  and  pi.  6,  flg.  4,  the  chrysalis  of  a  Nymphalid;  but  the  illustra- 
tions are  wholly  insufficient  to  assert  anything  of  them  with  confidence. 

1828.  MARCEL  DE  SERRES.  Note  sur  les  Arachnides  et  les  Insectes  fossiles  et  specialement  sur  ceux 
des  terrains  d'eau  douce.  Ann.  Sc.  Nat.,  XV,  98-108. 

This  Is  an  extract  only  from  the  next  citation. 

(1) 


2  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

1829.  MARCEL  DE  SERRES.  Geognosie  Acs  terrains  tertiaires  ou  Tableau  des  principaux  animaux 
invertebres  des  terrains  marins  tertiaires  du  midi  de  la  France.  16mo.  Montpellier 
et  Paris. 

Contains  a  "Tableau  des  Arachnides  et  des  Insectcs  fossiles  du  bassin  tertiairc  d'Aix  (Bouches-du- 
Rh6ne),"  printed  in  the  preceding  citation,  In  which  (p.  230;  p.  107  of  preceding)  occurs  the  genus 
"Papilio,"  with  the  remark:  "Nous  citons  ici,  sous  la  foi  d'autrui,  un  L6pidoptere  diurne  de  la 
division  des  Satynts,"  doubtless  referring  to  Neorinopis  sepulta. 

Speaking  of  the  authors  who  have  treated  of  the  fossils  of  (Eningen,  he  says  :  (p.  235)  "  Ces  divers  natu- 
ralistes  y  ont  signalfi  des  Scarabfies,  des  Lucanus  (p.  236)  fort  rapproche's  du  Lucanus  cervus,  des 
Papillons,"  etc. 

In  a  "Tableau  general  des  Arachnides  et  des  Insectps  fossiles"  he  gives  on  p.  257,  the  following: 

Genres  qni  se  trouvent  dans  les  terrains  anormanx. 


Tertiaires. 


Seconclaires. 


anterieurs  a  la  rctraite  des  mers 

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Noms  des  genres. 

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Papilio. 

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4 

In  the  "marnes  calcaires"  of  Alx  he  has  referred  already,  as  we  have  seen,  to  one;  he  previously  speaks 
of  Papttlons  at  (Eningen  (see  above)  and  may  therefore  place  two  in  the  second  column ;  he  quotes 
Sendelius  as  probably  figuring  caterpillars  in  amber  as  follows  (p.  242) :  "  Des  L&pidopteres  (M. 
Brongniart).  On  a  cru  reconnaitre  des  chenilles  parmi  les  insectes  du  Succm  figurfis  par  Scndelius 
Tab.  3,  fig.  28-82 ; '"  and  this  accounts  for  one  In  his  third  column ;  and  the  following  passage  from 
the  section  on  "  Insectes  fossiles  des  terrains  secondaires  inferieurs,  ou  de  transitions "  (p.  246) 
accounts  for  that  in  the  fifth  column :  "  II  se  peut  que  ce  soit  £ galement  dans  des  formations  de  la 
mSme  6poque  qu'exlstent  les  vestiges  d'insectos,  d'ailes  de  Papillons  et  de  Scarabees  signalCs  par 
Bromel." 


1835.    GRAVENHORST.     Bericht  der  entomologischen  Section.     Uebers.  d.  Arbeit  u.  Verand.  Sclilesisch. 
Gesellsch.  Vaterl.  Cultur,  1854,  92-93. 

Gives  a  general  enumeration  of  the  collection  of  fossils  from  amber  In  the  museum  of  the  Konigsberg 
Society,  specifying  a  few  Lepidoptera. 

1  Probably  an  error  for  Tab.  5,  flg.  28a,  28b,  which  seems  to  represent  a  Teiithrediniilotis  larva. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

1836.   HOPE.     Observations  on  Succinic  Insects.    Trans.  Ent.  SOQ.  Lond.,  I,  iii,  133-147. 
In  a  list  of  insects  observed  in  amber  we  find  the  following  on  p.  146 : 

SUBSTANCE.  I    COLLECTIOX. 


'  PapUto.     I  Hope  and  Berendt. 


Animd  and  amber.     |  Mr.  Strong." 


1838.   BUONN.     Lethsea  Geognostica,  2d  ed.,  II.  8vo. 

In  a  tabular  list  of  fossil  insects,  with  localities,  he  gives  (p.  814) : 
Papilis  [Papilio]  (Bernstein),  Satyrus  (Gyps  formation  von  Aix). 

1838.  DDPONCIIEL.     Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France,  VII,  Bull.  51-52. 

Re-announces  the  discovery  of  Neorinopis  sepulta,  referring  it  to  Nymphalls. 

1839.  BOISDUVAL.    Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France,  VIII,  Bull.,  11-12. 

Gives  a  verbal  report  on  the  characteristics  of  Neorinopis  sepulta,  drawn  from  an  Inspection  of  a  drawing 
sent  by  Fonscolombe  to  Audouin,  refers  the  insect  to  the  genus  Cyllo  and  says  that  the  species  is 
allied  to  Europa  and  others. 

1840.  BOISDUVAL.     Rapport  sur  une  empreinte  de  Lepidoptcke  trouvee  dans  les  marnes  des  environs 

d'Aix,  en  Provence,  et  communiquce  par  M.  de  Saporta.     Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France,  IX, 
371-374.     Accompanied  by  a  plate  (viii)  which  appeared  in  the  second  livrasion. 

Describes  Neorinopis  sepulta  from  the  specimen,  referring  it  to  the  genus  Cyllo,  and  the  neighborhood 
of  the  species  Rohria,  Caumas  and  Europa,  and  giving  it  the  specific  name  sepulta. 

1843.   MARCEL  DE  SERRES.     Notes  geologiques  sur  la  Provence.     Actes  Linn.  Soc.  Bord.,  XIII,  1-82  ; 
Note  additionelle,  83-90;  Deuxieme  note  additionelle,  170-2.     2  planches. 

In  a  list  of  the  plants  and  animals  found  at  Aix,  the  author  gives  on  p.  41 :  "  Lepidopteres  Diurnes. 
Papilio  de  la  division  des  Satyrus.  Cette  espece  conserve  encore  en  partie  ses  couleurs."  On  p.  172 
is  a  Note  relative  au  Lepidoptere  figure  (Cyllo  sepulta),  in  which  Boisduval's  opinion  of  its  relationship 
is  given.1  The  author's  review  of  the  plants  and  animals  leads  him  to  the  generalization  that  they 
are  analogous  to  those  which  now  live  in  dry  and  arid  spots  in  the  south  of  France. 

1843.    CUARPENTIER.     Ueber  einige  fossile  Insecten  aus  Radoboj  in  Croatien.     Acta  Acad.  Leop. 
Carol.,  XX,  401-410. 

Describes  (p.  408)  and  figures  (Tab.  xxii,  fig.  4)  Eugonia  atava  under  the  name  of  Sphinx  atavus. 

1845.   COQUAND.     Bull.  Soc.  Geol.  France  [2],  II,  384-386. 

Refers  to  and  quotes  a  portion  of  Boisduval's  description  of  Neorinopis  sepulta  ;  nothing  new  Is  added. 

1  The  plate,  however,  is  wanting,  both  in  the  copy  belonging       Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,  so  that  I  cannot  tell  whether 
to  the  Smithsonian  Institution  and  in  that  in  the  Library  of  the       it  is  copied  from  Boisduval's  figure  or  is  an  original. 


4  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

1845.  MARCEL  DE  SERRES.  Sur  les  fossiles  du  bassin  d'Aix  (Bouches-du-Rhone).  Ann.  Sc.  Nat. 
[3],  IV,  249-256. 

Uses  the  discovery  of  Neorinopis  sepulta  as  an  argument  in  support  of  his  theory  that  there  is  an 
intimate  relation  between  the  tertiary  fauna  and  flora  of  Aix  and  the  animals  and  plants  now  existing 
in  southern  France ;  and  that  the  climate  of  the  two  epochs  was  the  same.  Recalling  the  then  recent 
discovery  of  many  butterflies  new  to  the  fauna  of  Europe,  he  suggests  that  N.  sepvlta  may  yet  be 
found  alive. 

1847.  HOPE.  Observations  on  the  fossil  insects  of  Aix  in  Provence,  with  descriptions  and  figures  of 
three  species.  Trans.  Ent.  Soc.  Lond.,  IV,  250-255. 

Gives  a  list  of  genera  published  by  Bronn  with  some  additions ;  on  p.  252,  under  Lepidoptera,  we  have 
"85.  Satyrus  B[ronn]." 

1849.  HEEK.  Die  Insektenfauna  der  Tertiargebilde  von  CEningen  und  von  Radoboj  in  Croatien. 
2"  Theil.  4to.  Leipzig.  Extracted  from  the  Neue  Denkschr.  allg.  Schweiz.  Gesellschaft 
fur  Naturw.,  XI  (1850). 

Contains  (pp.  177-183,  Taf.  xiv,  figs.  3-6)  descriptions  and  illustrations  of  Eugonia  atava  (Vanessa 
attavina),  Mylothrites  Pluto  (Vanessa  Pluto)  and  Pontia  Freyeri  (Pierites  Freyeri). 

1849.  HEEU.     Zur  Geschichte  der  lusekten.     Verhandl.  Schweiz.  naturf.  Gesellsch.,  XXXIV,  78-97. 

Refers  to  the  late  epoch  at  which  Lepidoptera  appeared,  and  adds,  pp.  87-8  :  "  Merkwiirdig  1st,  dass  von 
diesen  Schmetterlingen  2  Arten  grosse  Aehnlichkeit  [88]  mit  ostindischen  Arten  haben,  wahrend  eine 
mit  unserm  Dlstelfalter,  eine  andere  mit  unserem  Grassacktriiger  zu  vergleichen  1st." 

1850.  HEER.   Zur  Geschichte  der  Insekten.     Neues  Jahrb.  fur  Mineral.,  17-33. 

On  the  History  of  Insects.     Quart.  Journ.  Geol.  Soc.  Lond.,  VI,  ii,  68-76.     Translated  by 
T.  R[ymer]  J[ones]. 

Essentially  the  same  as  the  preceding.  The  quotation  given  above  is  found  on  p.  24  of  the  Jahrbuch,  p. 
72  of  the  Journal.  "  Schmetterlinge "  is  everywhere  translated  Butterflies  instead  of  Lepidoptera. 
Aix  in  Provence  is  nearly  always  given  as  Aix-la-Chapelle. 

1851.  LEFEBVBE.      Observations  relatives  a  I'empreinte  d'un   Lepidoptere  fossile  (Cyllo  sepnlta)  du 

docteur  Boisduval.     Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France  [2],  IX,  71-88,  pi.  3,  No.  II. 

Criticises  at  length  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Boisduval  on  the  systematic  position  and  structure  of  Neorinopis 
sepulta,  maintaining  that  the  fore  and  not  the  hind  wing  was  furnished  with  a  tail,  and  while 
confessing  his  inability  to  decide  upon  its  relationship,  inclines  to  the  opinion  that  the  insect  was 
more  nearly  allied  to  Vanessa.  His  studies  were  wholly  taken  from  the  plate  published  by  Boisduval. 

1851.   BOISDUTAL.     Quelques  mots  de  reponse  a  M.  Alex.  Lefebvre  sur  ses  observations  relatives  a  la 

Cyllo  sepulta.     Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France  [2],  IX,  Bull.  96-98. 
Defends  his  views  against  the  criticisms  of  Lefebvre. 


BIBLIOGBAPHY.  5 

1852.   GIEBEL.   Deutschland's  Petrefacten.     p.  644.     8vo.    Leipzig. 
Catalogues  the  three  butterflies  described  by  Heer  from  Radoboj. 

1854.   WESTWOOD.     Contributions  to  Fossil  Entomology.     Quart.  Journ.  Geol.  Soc.  Lond.,  X,  378-96, 
pi.  14-18. 

Represents  on  pi.  17,  flg.  17,  and  pi.  18,  flg.  27,  two  fragments  of  wings,  which  he  considers  as  belonging  to 
butterflies,  and  to  which,  on  pp.  395-6,  in  the  explanation  of  the  plates,  he  gives  the  names  of  Cyllo- 
nium  Boisdumlianum  and  C.  Hewitsonianum, 

1854.    PICTET.     Traite  de  Palseontologie,  II,  pp.  392-393,  pi.  40.    8vo.    Paris. 

Gives  a  brief  account  of  the  fossil  butterflies  then  known,  and  reproduces  excellently  the  figures  of 
Nenrinopis  sepulta,  and  Mylothrites  Pluto  given  by  Boisduval  and  Heer. 

1856.   GIEBEL.     Fauna  der  Vorwelt,  II.     pp.  185-7.     8vo.    Leipzig. 

Gives  a  similar  but  fuller  account  of  the  butterflies  described  by  Heer  and  a  brief  notice  of  others. 

1856.    GIKBKL.     Gcologische  Uebersicht  der  voi'vveltlichen  Insekten.     Zeitschr.  gesammt.   Naturw., 
VIII,  pp.  174-188. 

Gives  lists  of  Lepidoptera  summarized  from  his  previous  work. 

1856.     HEER.      Ueber  die   fossilen    Insekten   von  Aix   in   der  Provence.      Vierteljahrsschr.  naturf. 
Gesellsch.  Zurich,  I,  1-40. 

Simply  mentions  in  his  introductory  remarks  the  occurrence  of  Neorinopls  sepulta  at  Aix,  and  says  that 
most  of  the  Insects  from  this  locality  present  a  Mediterranean  aspect. 

1858.  HEER.     Ueber  die  Insectfauna  von  Radoboj.     Bericht  32"  Versamml.  Deutsch.  Naturf.,  118-121. 

A  cursory  review  of  Radoboj  insects,  mentioning  the  rarity  of  Lepidoptera,  and  specifying  Eugonia  atava 
{Vanessa  allavlna)  and  Mylothrites  Pluto  (Vanessa  Pluto}.  He  remarks  that  the  former  resembles 
V.  cardui  and  probably  fed  on  thistles,  although  these  had  not  yet  been  found  in  a  fossil  condition 
in  that  locality ;  and  that  the  latter  was  nearly  allied  to  Papilio  Hadena. 

1859.  HEYDEN.     Fossile  Insecten  aus  der  Rheinischen  Braunkohle.    Dunk.  u.  Mey.  Palseontogr.,  VIII, 

1-15,  Taf.  1-2. 

Contains  pp.  12-13,  Taf.  I,  flg.  10,  description  and  figure  of  Thanatites  vetula  (Vanessa  •vetula}. 

1860.  HEER.     Untersuchungen  iiber  das  Klima  und  die  Vegetations  Verhaltnisse  des  Tertiarlandes. 

4to.     Winterthur. 

- 

Refers  to  some  of  the  fossil  butterflies  described  from  Radoboj  and  Aix. 

MEMOIHS   A.   A.    A.   S.  3 


O  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

18G1.   HEER.     Rechercbcs  stir  Ic  climat  et  la  Vegetation  du  pays  tertiaircs  ;  traduction  cle  Gaudin.    4to. 
Wintertluir. 

The  same  as  the  previous;  and  also  (on  p.  205;  not  In  the  original  edition)  the  following  refer- 
ence: "im  ciuquiemc  (Thaites  Ituminiana)  est  tres  voisin  du  genre  Thais  qui  apnarticut  a  la  I'aune 
m6diterraneene." 

1868.  BUTLER.     Catalogue  of  Diurnal  Lepidoptera  of  the  family  Satyridaf  in  the  collection  of  the 

British  Museum.     8vo.    London. 

Gives  an  appendix  (pp.  189-190)  on  fossil  species,  in  which  he  discusses  the  zoological  position  of 
Neorinapis  sepulta  (Cyllo  sepulta). 

1869.  BUTLER.     Catalogue  of  Diurnal  Lepidoptera  described  by  Fabricius  in  the  collection  of  the 

British  Museum.     8vo.    London. 

Discusses  briefly  (p.  109)  the  relationship  of  "  Vanessa  Phtto"  to  Argynnis  Diana  and  Junonia  Hedonia. 

1872.   SCUDDER.      Description   d'un   nouveau   papillon   fossilc  (Satyrites   Reynesii)  trouve  a  Aix  en 
Provence.     Rev.  et  Mag.  de  Zool.,  62-71,  pi.  7.     Also  separate,  pp.  7. 

Description  of  a  New  Fossil  Butterfly  (Satyrites  Reynesii)  found  at  Aix  in  Provence.  This  is 
a  translation  of  a  portion  of  my  paper.  Geol.  Mag.,  IX,  532-533,  pi.  13,  figs.  2-3. 
The  same,  separate,  pp.  2. 

Describes  and  figures  Lethites  Eeynesii. 

1872.  SAPORTA.     Etudes  snr  la  vegetation  du  Sud  Est  de  la  France  a  Pepoque  tertiairc.      Suppl.  I. 

Revision  de  la  flore  des  gypses  d'Aix.     1"  fascicule,  Gencralites.     Ann.  Sc.  Nat.  [5], 
Bot.  XV,  277-351. 

Discusses  (p.  342)  the  probable  food  of  the  caterpillars  of  Neorinopis  sepulta  and  Thaites  Emniniana. 

1873.  BUTLER.     On  Fossil  Butterflies.     Lepidoptera  Exotica,  part  xv,  pp.  126-8,  pi.  48. 

On  a  Fossil  Butterfly  belonging  to  the  family  Nymphalidae  from  the  Stonesfield  slate  near 
Oxford  ;  with  notices  of  two  other  foreign  forms  from  France  and  Croatia.  Geol.  Mag., 

X,  No.  ciii,  2-4,  pi.  1. 

• 

Describes  the  genus  Palseontina  and  species  oolitica  (a  supposed  fossil  butterfly),  refers  Gi/llo  m-pulta 
Boisd.  to  a  new  genus,  Neorinopis,  and  Vanessa  Pluto  Heer,  doubtfully,  to  Junonia,  adding  remarks 
upon  the  relationships  of  each. 

1873.   ANON.     The  oldest  Fossil  Butterfly  in  the  World.     The  [London]  Graphic.     Feb.  •>•>. 
A  popular  account  of  the  preceding  paper,  accompanied  by  a  woodcut  of  Palasontinn  oolitica. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY.  7 

1873.  BRODIE.     The  Distribution  and  Correlation  of  Fossil  Insects,  etc.     8vo.  pamph.      Warwick. 

Gives  a  brief  notice  (pp.  8-9)  of  the  various  fossils  referred  to  butterflies,  especially  of  Palaiontina 
oolitica  and  Lethites  Heynesii,  and  publishes  an  opinion  expressed  to  him  by  me  that  the  former  was 
Homopterous. 

1874.  SCUDDKR.     Proc.  Bost.  Soc.  Nat.  Hist.,  XVI,  112. 

Doubts  the  lepidopterous  character  of  Butler's  Palseontina,  and  refers  it,  probably,  to  the  Cicadinse. 

1874.   BUTLER.     Notes  on  the  impression  of  Palteontina  oolitica  in  the  Jermyn  Street  Museum.     Geol. 
Mag.  [2],  I,  446-449,  pi.  19. 

Defends  the  lepidopterous  character  of  Palseontina  and  gives  new  illustrations  of  the  same. 

1874.    SMITH.     Discovery  of  Remains  of  Plants  and  Insects.     Nature,  XI,  88. 
Enumerates  fossils  found  at  Gurnet  Bay,  and  specifies  among  them  ".butterflies." 


Sehn  wir  daher  durch  das  Fenster, 
In  das  alte  Schattenreich, 
Sehen  wir  da  statt  Gespenster, 
Wesen,  die  den  jetz'gen  gleich ; 
Sehen  nicht  des  Pluto  Schrecken, 
Sphinxe  und  Harpyen  Brut, 
Nicht  Chimaren  Flammen  lecken, 
In  der  Holle  Feuer  Glut, 

Nein !  in  diesen  stillen  Kiiumen 
Wo  man  sich  den  Orcus  denkt, 
Sehn  wir  tausend  Wesen  tralimen, 
Tief  in  ew'gen  Schlaf  versenkt. 
Haben  einst  die  welt  genossen, 
Untenn  blaueu  Hiramelszelt, 
Jetzt  sind  sie  in  Fels  verschlossen, 
In  der  schwarzen  Unterwelt. 

OSWALD  HEER. 


DESCRIPTIVE. 


NYMPHALES  —  PRJETORES  —  OREADES. 

Genus   NEORINOPIS   BUTLER. 
Neorinopis  Butler,  I.cpid.  Exot.,  i,  127  (1873)  ;— Ib.,  Geol.  Mag.  x,  3. 

IN  the  shape  of  the  wings  (PI.  I,  fig.  8)  this  genus  closely  resembles  Neorina 
(PI.  II,  fig.  13).  The  fore  wings  are  arched  and  roundly  produced  at  the  apex, 
though  not  so  strongly  as  in  Neorina,  rather  as  in  Antirrhsea  or  Coalites,  the  costal 
margin  is  regularly,  but  not,  as  in  Neorina,  very  strongly  arched,  and  the  apex  is 
well  rounded ;  the  outer  border  is  sinuous  and  scarcely  crenulate,  the  upper  por- 
tion, above  the  middle  of  the  subcosto-median  interspace,  very  strongly  convex 
and  particularly  prominent  at  the  tip  of  the  second  inferior  subcostal  nervule; 
below,  the  margin  is  again  convex,  starting  from  the  middle  of  the  upper  median 
interspace ;  at  first  (over  one  interspace)  gently,  afterward  more  fully,  but  still 
rather  broadly,  to  the  well  rounded  lower  angle;  the  inner  margin  is  slightly 
concave.  The  hind  wings  resemble  those  of  Neorina  far  more  than  those  of 
any  other  genus,  but  are  long  and  proportionally  rather  more  produced  than  in 
Ncorina,  with  less  crenation  of  the  outer  border,  and  a  shorter  and  slenderer 
tail;  the  costal  margin  is  strongly  and  abruptly  convex  next  the  base,  but  beyond 
this  passes  with  a  regular  and  gentle  convexity  to  the  outer  angle,  which  is 
larger  than  a  right  angle  and  somewhat  rounded  off;  above  the  tail  the  general 
trend  of  the  outer  border  forms  scarcely  more  than  a  right  angle  with  the  gen- 
eral course  of  the  costal  margin  and  is  gently  crenate;  the  tail,  which  lengthens 
the  upper  median  nervule  by  about  one-fourth,  is  about  the  width  of  an  interspace 
at  the  base  and  tapers  to  a  rounded  point,  at  first  rapidly,  afterward  slightly;  the 

(9) 


10  FOSSIL    KUTTKKFIJES. 

border  is  slightly  angulated  at  the  tip  of  the  middle  median  nervule,  and  still 
more  strongly  at  the  tip  of  the  lowest  median  nervule,  causing  in  the  latter  a 
very  broad  angular  projection,  beyond  which  the  margin  slopes  off  and  is  rounded 
at  the  angle.  The  inner  margin  has  a  very  broad  and  extensive  basal  pro- 
jection, and  the  course  of  the  internal  nervure  renders  it  probable  that  it  was 
even  more  extensive  than  represented  in  the  plate;  it  reaches  more  than  half-way 
along  the  inner  border,  and  at  the  broadest  exceeds  the  cell  in  width;  be- 
yond it  the  inner  margin  has  a  nearly  straight  course,  parallel  and  adjacent 
to  the  sub-median  nervure. 

As  to  the  neuration  (PI.  I,  fig.  9)  this  genus  approaches  more  closely  the 
genera  Zophoessa  (PL  II,  fig.  1),  Neorimi  (PL  II,  fig.  8),  Debis  (PL  II,  fig. 
10),  and  Lethe  (PL  II,  fig.  6),  than  any  others,  although  it  differs  from  any  of 
them  more  than  they  do  among  themselves.  The  most  noticeable  marks  of  dis- 
tinction are  these:  in  the  fossil  genus  the  first  superior  subcostal  nervule  of 
the  fore  wing  is  thrown  off  just  at  the  extremity  of  the  cell  while  the  second 
and  third  are  far  beyond  it;  in  the  recent  genera  the  first  nervule  is  always 
emitted  some  distance  before  the  tip  of  the  cell  and  the  second  either  at  or 
before  the  extremity ;  in  agreement  with  this,  the  cell  is  much  shorter  in  Neori- 
nopis  than  in  the  others,  being  but  two-fifths  the  length  of  the  wing,  while 
in  the  others  it  is  about  one-half  its  length;  in  Neorinopis  the  nervule  closing 
the  cell  of  the  fore  wing  unites  with  the  median  nervure  at  its  last  divarica- 
tion, while  in  the  others  it  strikes  it  a  long  distance  beyond.  In  the  hind 
wing  the  vein  closing  the  cell  strikes  the  median  at  its  last  divarication,  as  in 
Zophoessa,  while  in  the  others  it  meets  the  last  branch  of  that  vein  at  a  slight 
distance  from  its  origin. 

In  the  fore  wings  the  costal  nervure  terminates  at  a  little  distance  beyond 
the  middle  of  the  costal  border.  The  subcostal  terminates,  as  in  the  recent 
genera  mentioned,  near  the  tip  of  the  wing,  and  has  four  superior  and  two 
inferior  branches;  the  four  superior  nervules  and  the  costal  nervure  terminate  at 
nearly  equal  distances  apart  on  the  costal  border;  the  first  superior  nervule  is 
emitted  from  the  very  tip  of  the  upper  border  of  the  cell,  at  two-fifths  the  distance 


NEORIXOPJS.  11 

from  the  base  to  the  apex  of  the  wing,  the  second  beyond  the  cell,  but  scarcely 
beyond  the  middle  of  the  wing;  the  third  at  a  less  distance  from  the  base  of 
the  second  than  that  is  from  the  first,  and  directly  below  a  point  midway 
between  the  tip  of  the  costal  nervure  and  that  of  the  first  superior  subcostal 
nervule;  the  fourth  near  the  extremity  of  the  wing  and  but  little  before  the  tip 
of  the  third  superior  nervule,  or  at  about  two-thirds  the  distance  from  the  base 
of  the  third  superior  subcostal  nervule  to  the  tip  of  the  subcostal  nervure;  the 
first  inferior  subcostal  nervule  originates  of  course  at  the  tip  of  the  cell,  and 
separates  but  narrowly  from  the  main  stem,  from  which  it  diverges  very  gradu- 
ally as  far  as  the  base  of  the  outer  superior  nervule,  where  the  main  stem  ap- 
proaches it  again;  the  lowermost  inferior  subcostal  nervule  arises  from  the  first 
inferior  scarcely  beyond  its  base,  curves  inward,  downward  and  then  outward  be- 
fore taking  a  course  parallel  to  the  nervule  above,  from  which  it  is  separated  at 
its  base  by  twice  the  distance  that  the  former  is  there  distant  from  the  sub- 
costal nervure;  the  vein  closing  the  cell  can  scarcely  be  called  a  vein,  but 
rather  a  break  in  the  membrane  such  as  is  often  seen  in  recent  butterflies,  and 
is  indicated  in  the  fossil  by  a  curving  granulated  streak;  it  arises  from  the 
final  curve  of  the  lowermost  inferior  subcostal  nervule  opposite  and  directly 
below  its  origin;  it  passes  thence  in  a  slightly  curved  line,  opening  outward, 
to  the  very  base  of  the  upper  branch  of  the  median  nervure.  The  median  ner- 
vure runs  in  a  straight  line  as  far  as  its  first  divarication,  which  is  a  little 
beyond  the  middle  of  the  cell;  thence  it  is  bent  parallel  to  the  subcostal  ner- 
vure and  exactly  at  the  lower  tip  of  the  cell  forks,  the  branches  parting  but 
gradually  from  each  other,  the  upper  gently  curved,  the  lower  nearly  straight. 
The  submedian  nervure  is  parallel  to  the  lowest  median  nervule,  as  in  Ncorina, 
etc.  Jfone  of  the  veins  are  swollen  at  the  base.  The  cell  is  three  and  a  half 
times  longer  than  broad. 

In  the  hind  wing  the  neuration  is  almost  precisely  that  of  Neorina  Lowii  (PI. 
II,  fig.  8) .  The  costal  and  subcostal  veins  are  confluent  for  a  short  distance,  when 
the  costal  parts  from  its  neighbor  at  nearly  right  angles  and  immediately 
thereafter  sends  up  the  basal  shoot,  which,  after  passing  in  a  straight  line  half 


12  FOSSIL    BUTTKRFLIES. 

way  toward  the  basal  angle  of  the  costal  margin,  curves  slightly  outward  and 
fades  away;  the  costal  nervure,  on  approaching  the  border,  curves  outward  and 
meets  the  border  near  the  middle  of  its  outer  two-thirds;  the  subcostal  breaks 
into  three  branches,  exactly  as  in  Zophoessa.  The  median  nervure  and  its  middle 
branch  form  a  continuous,  almost  exactly  straight  line,  from  which  the  lowermost 
branch  parts  opposite  the  union  of  the  vein  closing  the  cell  with  the  lowest 
subcostal  nervule;  and  the  uppermost  at  exactly  the  tip  of  the  cell,  or  as  far 
beyond  the  origin  of  the  lowest  nervule  as  the  upper  limit  of  the  vein  closing 
the  cell  is  from  the  base  of  the  upper  subcostal  nervule;  the  vein  closing  the 
cell  is  a  very  weak  one  and  originates  on  the  lowest  subcostal  nervule,  as  far 
from  the  second  divarication  of  the  subcostal  nervure  as  that  is  from  the  first, 
and  passes  in  a  gentle  curve,  opening  outward,  to  the  second  divarication  of  the 
median  nervure.  The  submedian  and  internal  nervures  are  united  for  a  short 
distance  beyond  the  base  of  the  cell;  the  submedian  passes  with  a  gentle  regular 
curve  to  the  outer  border,  at  the  lower  outer  angle;  the  internal  parts  from  this 
with  an  opposing  curve  and  terminates  somewhere  below  the  middle  of  the  inner 
flap  of  the  wing,  probably  approaching  again  the  submedian  nervure  near  its 
extremity.  None  of  the  veins  are  swollen  at  the  base.  The  cell  is  two  and 
three-quarters  times  longer  than  broad. 

In  the  disposition  of  its  markings  (PI.  I,  fig.  8)  this  genus  does  not  seem  to 
show  any  strong  affinity  with  any  living  butterflies,  although  it  has  some  features 
in  common  with  the  genera  already  referred  to  (PI.  II,  figs.  3,  9,  11,  13,  14). 
The  base  of  the  wing  is  dark,  followed  by  paler  spots  and  bands,  differing  greatly 
in  the  front  and  hind  wings,  followed  again  by  a  belt  of  dusky  scales,  which 
separates  from  the  rest  of  the  wing  a  paler  submarginal  band,  enclosing  roundish, 
interspaceal,  often  pupillated  spots  of  varying  size,  and  whose  outer  limits  are  at 
least  an  interspace's  distance  from  the  outer  border;  the  latter  is  margined,  on 
the  hind  wings,  with  alternating  darker  and  lighter  lines.  The  middle  portions 
of  the  two  wings  differ;  the  hind  wings  have  simply  a  broad  pale  field,  gradually 
merging  on  either  side  into  the  darker  parts  and  varied  by  a  cloudy,  wavy, 
narrow,  transverse  belt  near  the  middle;  the  fore  wing,  on  the  other  hand,  is 


NEORINOPIS.  13 

marked  by  two  largo  diagonal  light  patches,  whose  interior  edges  are  well  defined, 
but  whose  exterior  are  powdered  at  their  confluence  with  the  darker  parts;  one 
of  these  patches  crosses  the  subcostal  interspaces  at  a  little  distance  beyond  the 
cell,  and  reaches  from  the  subcostal  to  the  median  nervure;  the  other  crosses 
the  middle  of  the  outer  half  of  the  cell  and  covers  a  great  part  of  the  basal  half 
of  the  lower  median  interspace;  while  a  third  roundish  patch,  united  with  it, 
occurs  near  the  middle  of  the  medio-submedian  interspace.  The  two  diagonal 
patches  have  their  inner  distinct  edges  nearly  parallel  and  straight,  following  lines 
which  run  at  nearly  right  angles  to  the  costal  margin;  in  this  respect  they  agree 
with  the  diagonal  disposition  of  markings  upon  the  upper  and  under  surface  of 
some  species  of  Zophoessa  (PI.  II,  figs.  3,  11)  and  Lethe  (PI.  II,  fig.  9),  while  the 
nature  of  the  broad  patches  themselves  may  best  be  compared  to  such  masses  of 
color  as  we  see  in  Neorina  Lowii  (PL  II,  fig.  13)  and  some  other  species;  the 
marginal  markings  of  the  hind  wings  and  the  submarginal  spots  are  common  to 
very  many  Oreades,  but  the  nature  and  disposition  of  those  of  Neorinopis  and  the 
disparity  of  their  character  on  the  two  wings  are  best  seen  on  a  comparison  with 
the  types  we  have  already  alluded  to,  and  which  are  represented  on  the  plates. 
The  small  round  pale  spots  accompanying  larger  dark  ones  on  the  fore  wing  may 
be  seen  in  Neorina  Lowii,  though  the  relation  of  the  two  is  different  from  what  we 
see  in  Neorinopis,  while  the  greater  importance  of  the  ocellus  in  the  lower  median 
interspace  of  the  hind  wings  finds  an  exaggerated  counterpart  in  Neorina  Lowii. 
In  general,  the  design  of  the  fore  wings  approaches  that  of  Neorina  Lowii  more 
nearly  than  that  of  the  upper  surface  of  any  other  butterfly  I  have  seen,  although 
there  is  a  distant  resemblance  to  the  markings  of  AntirrhaBa  and  Anchiphlebia,  as 
Butler  has  remarked,  as  well  as  toward  certain  species  of  Zophoessa.  The  mark- 
ings of  the  upper  and  under  surface  of  butterflies  have  nearly  always  some  and 
often  a  close  relation  to  each  other,  and  therefore  we  may  reasonably  look  at  the 
under  surface  of  living  insects  to  find  the  nearest  counterpart  to  our  fossil;  in  this 
respect  the  under  surface  of  Lethe  Dyrta  (PI.  II,  fig.  9)  may  well  be  studied,  where 
in  a  lighter  submarginal  band  we  find  a  series  of  spots,  in  the  principal  interspaces, 
far  from  the  border;  these  are  ocellated  instead  of  double  as  in  Neorinopis;  there 

MKM01US   A.    A.    A.    8.  4 


14  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

• 

are  two  large  patches  of  pale  color  in  the  upper  half  of  the  wing  as  in  Neorinopis, 
but  the  inner  is  much  obscured  by  a  dark  bar  crossing  the  middle ;  and  the  outer  in- 
stead of  the  inner  patch  is  connected  with  the  lighter  parts  of  the  lower  half  of  the 
wing,  and  is  separated  from  the  parts  within  by  a  long  line  whose  general  course  is 
at  right  angles  to  the  costal  border;  in  the  markings  of  the  hind  wings  it  is  hy  no 
means  unlike  Zophoessa  Sura  (PI.  II,  fig.  3),  and  resembles  less  conspicuously 
Debis  Sinorix  (PL  II,  fig.  14),  with  which  also  it  agrees  admirably  in  the  form 
and  neuration  of  the  wing;  in  the  shape  of  the  tail  particularly,  and  in  the  size  of 
the  insect  also,  Neorinopis  agrees  better  with  Debis  Sinorix  than  with  any  but- 
terfly I  have  been  able  to  examine.  In  neuration  and  in  markings,  although  not 
at  all  in  the  form  of  the  wings,  this  fossil  shows  no  distant  alliance  to  our  own 
Enodla  Portlandia. 

The  other  parts  of  the  body  are  not  sufficiently  preserved  to  admit  of  their 
use  in  generic  description,  if  we  except  the  hind  legs ;  these  are  slender,  the  tarsi 
(which  are  barely  shorter  than  the  thorax)  being  of  the  same  length  as  the  tibiae 
and  a  very  little  longer  than  the  femora. 


NEOKINOPIS    SEPULTA     (BOISDUVAL)   BUTLER. 
Plate  I,  figs.  8-17. 

Nymphalis  sp.  DUP.,  Bull.  Soc.  Ent.  France,  1838,  51-52. 

Cyllo  sp.  BOISD.,  Bull.  Soc.  Ent.  France,  1839,  11-12. 

Cyllo  sepulta  BOISD.,  Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France,  Ix,  371-374,  pi.  viii  (1840)  ;  In.,  Bull.  Soc.  Ent.  France, 
1851,  96-98;  SERUKS,  Act.  Linn.  Soc.  Bord.,  xiii,  172,  pi.  ii  (1843);  WKSTW.,  Geu.  Diurn.  Lcp., 
361  (1851)  ;  LEF.,  Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France  [2],  Ix,  71-88,  pi.  iii,  II  (1851) ;  PICT.,  Traite  Pal.,  11,  393, 
pi.  xl,  flg.  11,  1854;  BUTI..,  Cat.  Satyr.  Brit.  Mus.,  189-190  (1868). 

Antirrhcea?  sepulta  KIRB.,  Syn.  Cat.  Diurn.  Lep.,  39  (1871). 

Neorinopis  sepulta  BIITL.,  Lep.  Exot.,  127,  pi.  xlviii,  flg.  3  (1873);  IB.,  Geol.  Mag.,  x,  3,  pi.  I,  flg. 
8  (1873). 

The  earliest  notice  of  this  fossil  butterfly,  the  first  species  ever  described 
and  illustrated,  the  most  perfectly  preserved  and  the  best  known  to  the  world  at 
large,  was  given  by  Marcel  de  Serres  in  1828,  in  the  Annales  dcs  Sciences 
Naturelles ;  and  in  1829  in  his  Geognosie  des  terrains  tertiaires ;  where  he  simply 
cites  on  the  authority  of  some  one  else  the  occurrence  in  the  beds  of  Aix  of 
a  butterfly  belonging  to  "la  division  des  Satyrus." 


NEORINOPIS   SEPULTA.  15 

The  earliest  definite  mention  of  the  insect  is  given  by  Duponchel  in  the 
Bulletin  of  the  Entomological  Society  of  France,  as  follows : l 

"M.  Duponchel  entretient  ensuite  la  Societe"  d'un  fait  extraordinaire,  et  peut- 
etre  entierement  nouveau  dans  les  annales  de  [52]  la  science :  c'est  1'existence  d'une 
impression  tres  remarquable  de  Lepidoptere  fossile,  qui  a  £te  trouvde  dans  une 
platriere  des  environs  d'Aix  (en  Provence),  et  acquise  par  M.  de  Saporta.  Ce 
Lepidoptere,  suivant  M.  de  Saporta,  parait  appartenir  au  genre  Nymphale,  et  a  une 
espece  etrangere  a  celles  qui  vivent  aujourd'hui  en  Enrope.  Le  corselet  en  est 
parfaitement  conserve;  les  couleurs  des  ailes  sont  tres-bien  indiquees;  le  dessin  de 
ces  ailes  est  entierement  reconnaissable.  Les  deux  ailes  d'un  des  cotes  du  corps 
sont  rcpliees  en  grande  partie  1'une  sur  1'autre;  la  place  du  ventre  est  tres  distincte; 
1'autre  cote  manque  tout-a-fait." 

The  subject  seems  to  have  been  referred  to  Dr.  Boisduval,  for  we  find  in 
the  following  year2  that 

"  M.  Boisduval  rend  un  compte  verbal  du  rapport  que  la  Societe"  1'avait  charg^ 
de  faire,  sur  un  dessin  envoye"  a  M.  Audouin,  par  M.  de  Fonscolombe,  et  qui  reprd- 
sente  une  empreinte  de  le"pidoptere  fossile  trouvee  dans  les  environs  d'Aix.  M.  Bois- 
duval declare,  qu'  apres  un  examen  attentif,  il  a  reconnu  que  ce  le"pidoptere  devait 
appartenir  a  son  genre  Cyllo,  et  qu'  il  se  rapprochait  beaucoup  des  especes  decrites 
par  les  auteurs  sous  les  noms  de  Satyrus  Europa,  Caumax,  Rhosia  et  plusieurs 
autres  lepidopteres  indiens.  Le  meme  membre  ajoute  que  ce  Bhopalocere  ne  pent  se 
rapporter  exactement  a  aucune  des  especes  vivantes  deja  connues.  Toutefois, 
avant  de  decider  si  cet  insecte  doit  etre  regarde  comme  un  veritable  fossile,  M.  Bois- 
duval pense  qu'il  serait  indispensable,  que  la  Societe  put  avoir  sous  les  yeux  [12] 
la  pierre  qui  a  servi  de  modele  au  dessin  envoye  par  M.  de  Fonscolombe." 

The  next  year  a  very  fair  illustration  of  the  insect,  reproduced  in  our 
Plate  I,  fig.  17,  was  given,  and  shortly  afterward  a  written  report  upon  the 
subject  by  Dr.  Boisduval,  in  which  he  furnishes,  not  only  his  views  upon  its 
affinities,  but  a  brief  historical  account  of  the  insect,  which  is  given  below : 3 

"II  y  a  bientot  un  an  que  je  fus  charge  par  la  Societe"  d'examiner  le  dessin  d'un 
Lepidoptere  fossile  trouve  dans  les  platrieres  des  environs  d'Aix  en  Provence,  et 
appartenant  a  M.  le  Comte  de  Saporta.  Au  premier  coup  d'oeil,  ce  dessin  me 
parut  devoir  etre  rapporte  a  une  espece  de  SATYRIDES  du  genre  Cyllo,  a  cote  des 
Satyrus  liohria,  Cawnas  et  Europa,  de  1'Encyclopedie;  mais  la  decouverte  d'un 

A 

1  Bull.  Soc.  Ent.  France,  1838,  51-52.  3  Annales  Soc.  Ent.  France,  ix,  371-374  pi.  8. 

*  Hull.  Soc.  Knt.  France,  18311,  11-12. 


16  FOSSIL,   BUTTERFLIES. 

Lepidoptere  fossile  me  scmbla  un  fait  tellemcnt  neuf,  et  1'cspcce  si  rapprochee  de 
celles  connues,  que  je  n'osai  pas  faire  de  rapport  avant  d'avoir  vu  la  pierre  en 
nature.  La  Societe  partagea  cet  avis,  et  engagea  M.  Duponchel  a  ecrire  a  M.  de 
Fonscolombe  pour  lui  faire  part  du  doute  de  quclques  membres  sur  1'authenticite 
de  cette  empreinte.  Ce  fut  alors  que  M.  le  comte  de  Saporta,  naturaliste  fort  dis- 
tingue et  proprietaire  du  fossile  en  question,  m'ecrivit  la  lettre  que  j'ai  commu- 
niquec  a  la  Societe;  lettre  dans  laquelle  il  pretendait  qu'il  n'avait  pu  etre  victimc 
de  la  supercherie  de  qui  que  ce  soit,  et  [372]  que  par  consequent  il  n'j  avait  pas 
lieu  a  conserver  le  moindre  doute  sur  1'exactitudc  scrnpuleuse  du  dessin  commu- 
nique par  son  beau-pere,  M.  le  Baron  de  Fonscolombe;  qu'on  pouvait  voir  d'ail- 
leurs  au  Museum  un  Polyommate  fossile  qu'il  avait  envoye  depuis  plusieurs  annees 
avec  des  empreintes  d'insectes  de  diiferents  ordres. 

Cependant  la  Societe  emit  de  nouveau  le  clesir  de  connaitre  en  nature  ce  lepi- 
doptere  fossile.  M.  Duponchel  ecrivit  unc  seconde  fois  a  M.  de  Fonscolombe :  ce 
fut  alors  que  M.  le  comte  de  Saporta  consentit  a  se  dessaisir  pour  quelques  jours 
de  ce  precieux  echantillon  en  nous  1'envoyant  en  communication. 

Le  morceau  de  calcaire  qui  porte  reellement  Vempreinte  parfaite  d'un  lepidop- 
tere  conforme  au  dessin  de  M.  Fonscolombe,  est  un  fragment  assez  volumineux  de 
marne  gypseuse  bituminifere,  telle  qu'on  en  rencontre  dans  une  grande  partie  des 
environs  d'Aix  en  Provence 

Le  Lepidoptere  qui  fait  le  sujet  le  ce  rapport  fait  partie  d'un  [373]  de  ces 
genres  dont  les  especes  assez  peu  nombreuses  sont  confinees  aujourd'hui  dans 
les  iles  de  1'archipel  indien  ou  dans  les  contre"es  les  plus  chaudes  du  continent 
asiatique.  D'apres  ce  que  j'ai  pu  apprendre  de  M.  Blum  de  Leyde,  ils  voltigent 
93,  et  la  a  1'entour  des  palmiers,  dont  peut-etre  ils  se  nourrissent  a  1'etat  de 
chenille. 

L'individu  communique  par  M.  de  Saporta,  et  que  nous  avons  nomme 
SEPULTA,  pour  rappeler  son  origine  antediluvienne,  appartient  au  genre  Cyllo, 
et  se  rapproche  de  Rohria,  Caumas  et  autres  especes  volsines;  mais  il  ne  peut 
etre  rapporte  a  aucune  de  celles  connues  de  nos  jours,  ce  qui  est  d'autant  plus 
vraisemblable,  que  les  marnes  schisteuses  sont  de  beaucoup  plus  ancienncs  que 
la  derniere  catastrophe  diluvienne  admise  par  tous  les  geologues. 

Le  dessin  et  la  forme  de  cet  insecte  sont  si  bien  conserves,  que  1'on  croi- 
rait  qu'il  a  ete  lithographic  sur  un  schiste;  seulement  il  n'existe  que  le  cote" 
droit,  lequel  est  parfaitement  intact,  une  portion  du  corselet  et  une  Idgere  em- 
preinte de  Tabdomen.  L'aile  superieure  est  en  grande  partie  cache"c  par  1'in- 
ferieure,  et  il  est  impossible  de  dire  si  elle  offre  d'autre  dessin  qu'un  O3il  apical 
surmonte  d'un  point  blanc;  1'autre,  dont  on  voit  toute  la  surface,  est  d'une  couleur 
gris  brunfttre,  comme  dans  les  especes  voisines,  avec  une  tache  costale  blanche,  une 
bande  transverse,  mediane,  sinuee,  de  la  meme  couleur,  suivie  de  deux  yeux  noirs 


KEOKINOPIS    SEPULTA.  17 

encadres  de  blane,  s'alignant  exterieurement  avec  deux  points  blancs.  L'extremite 
de  cette  memc  ailc  est  un  peu  plus  pale,  presque  blanchatre,  et  divisee,  comme  chez 
la  plupart  des  especes  vivantes,  par  deux  lignes  marginales  brunes,  paralleles. 
L'appendice  caudal  est  un  peu  plus  long  que  dans  Hohria,  mais  situe  de  la  meme 
maniere. 

M.  le  comte  de  Saporta  a  emis  plusieurs  opinions  geologiqucs  sur  la  cause  qui 
a  produit  les  empreintes  d'insectes  dans  les  terrains  des  environs  d'Aix 

[374]  II  admet  .  .  que  ccs  marnes  ont  etc  formees  couches  par  couches,  ou 

plutot  feuillets  par  feuillets,' par  des  depots  fluviatilcs Selon  cer- 

taines  circonstances,  les  differentes  couches  ont  varie  de  couleur,  comme  on  peut 
s'en  convaincrc  par  1'echantillon  que  la  societe  a  eu  sous  les  yeux.  Les  plus  infe- 
ricures  sont  colorees  par  du  bitume  et  des  oxydes  metalliques;  celle  ou  se  trouvele 
Lepidoptere  est  blanche  et  presque  pure,  ce  qui  permet  de  distinguer  le  dessin  et 
probablement  la  veritable  couleur  du  papillon  tel  qu'il  etait  avec  son  incrustation." 

The  plate  accompanying  the  Report  of  Dr.  Boisduval  has  been  several  times 
copied,1  and  his  statements  reproduced  in  part  or  referred  to,  as  will  be  seen  by 
the  Bibliography  at  the  commencement  of  this  essay.2  But  the  most  extraordinary 
of  all  is  an  acute  criticism  by  Lefebvre,  eleven  years  subsequently,  of  which  I  give 
the  following  extracts,3  from  a  copy  of  the  paper  in  my  possession  slightly  cor- 
rected by  the  author. 

"  [72]  Si  de  1'oeil  on  suit  les  bords  de  la  scconde  aile  [PI.  I,  fig.  17]  qu'avec 
le  docteur  je  reconnais  couvrir  en  grande  partie  la  premiere,  je  trouve  qu'elle  est, 
cette  seconde  aile,  totalement  arrondie  dans  ses  contours,  et  je  ne  peux  concevoir 
par  quelle  aberration  d'optique  il  lui  a  vu  la  moindre  analogic  avec  la  seconde  aile 
d'une  de  nos  Cyllo;  comment  il  lui  attribue  un  appendice  caudal,  propre  volontiers 
aux  [73]  especes  de  ce  group£,  et  qui,  selon  lui,  la  termine  a  la  maniere  de  ceux  de 
la  Cyllo  Rohria  de  Fab.  (Toy.  f.  A  [PI.  I,  fig.  14]). 

Pour  parlor  ainsi  que  le  fait  M.  Boisduval  de  cet  appendice,  il  faut  ne'cessaire- 
ment  qu'il  ait  confondu  avec  cette  seconde  aile  le  dernier  contour  de  la  premiere, 
qui  1'excede  a  partir  de  leur  point  de  jonction  sur  le  bord  externe,  lui  attribuant 
comme  appendice  caudal  cette  forte  dent  de  la  premiere  aile,  qui  succede  a  une 
forte  echancrure,  ainsi  qu'il  en  existe  dans  tant  de  Vanessides,  et  qui  le  plus 
souvent  y  est  soutenue  par  la  troisieme  inferieure,  ainsi  que  tout  a  1'heure  elle  1'y 
sera  pour  nous  dans  la  Sepulta. 

J'avoue   done  que  je   ne   puis,  avec  le  meilleur  vouloir,  envisager   cette  em- 

1  By  Marcel  de  Serves,  Actes  Linn.  Soc.  Borrt.,  Vol.  xiii,  pi.  2;  •  See  particularly  papers  by  Coqnand,  Marcel  de  Serres,  Heer, 

Pirtot,  Traite  de  Pnlneont.,  II  pi.  40,  fij?.   11;  Butler,  Lep.  KM>(.        Saporta,  Uiebel,  Westwood  and  liutler. 
I,  pi.  48,  llg.  2;  Ib.,  Geol.  Mag.  x,  pi.  1,  flg.  3.  3  Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France  (2j  ix,  71-88  pi.,  3,  ii. 


18  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

preinte  autrement  que  je  ne  le  fais,  et  que  pour  la  considerer  sous  le  meme  point  de 
vue  que  notre  docte  confrere,  il  me  faut  faire  trop  violence  a  mes  pauvres  yeux  .  .  ; 
il  me  faut  enfin  donner  un  dementi  aux  contours  si  bien  e*crits  de  ces  deux  ailes 
superposees.  .  .  . 

Et,  en  effet,  ne  voit-on  pas  se  dessiner  les  bords  de  la  premiere  aile  dans  tons 
leurs  contours;  la  transparence  de  la  seconde,  avant  son  angle  anal,  ne  permet-elle 
pas  de  suivre  encore  le  bord  inferieur  de  la  premiere,  qui  est  un  peu  falque  et  qui, 
dans  1'empreinte,  passe  precisement  sous  1'articulation  femoro-tibiale  de  1'unique 
patte  poster ieure  qui  existe  encore? 

Toute  la  seconde  aile  ne  vient-elle  pas  de  ses  bords  nettement  tranches,  et 
surtout  dans  le  bord  exterieur,  couper  toute  la  premiere  aile  sur  laquelle  elle  est 
appliquee?  A  partir  du  point  le  plus  proche  de  ce  meme  bord  [74]  avec  celui  de  la 
premiere  aile,  et  presque  au  centre  de  sa  forte  echancrure,  ne  s'en  detache-t-elle 
pas,  comme  au-dessus,  par  une  marge  obscure  et  tres  nettement  tracee?  Enfin, 
cette  meme  aile  ne  se  continue-t-elle  pas  seule  et  detachee  sur  le  fond  de  la  pierre, 
avec  ses  meplats  voulus  dans  les  bords  posterieur  et  abdominal,  jusqu'au-dessus 
du  femur  de  la  patte  deja  citee? 

Je  ne  crois  pas  qu'on  me  puisse  repondre  par  la  negative,  tant  les  faits  sont 
patents. 

Get  examen  nous  donne  done  pour  resultat: 

1°  Une  aile  de  dessus  fortement  dentee  et  echancree  en  dehors,  a  son  bord 
exterieur.  (Yoy.  fig.  B  [PI.  I,  fig.  16]). 

2°  Une  aile  'de  dessous,  simple,  arrondie,  et  sans  vestige  d'appendice  caudal. 

Si  c'est  chose  convenue,  qu'en  deduire?  Si  ce  n'est  que  par  cette  seule  confor- 
mation, nous  sommes  actuellement  en  droit  de  decliner  deja  toute  espece  d'analo- 
gie  entre  la  Sepulta  et  le  genre  Cyllo,  proprement  dit,  et  de  1'eloigner  des  Caumus, 
Beroe,  Roliria,  et  autres;  et  cela,  d'abord,  par  la  rondeur  inerme  de  la  seconde  aile, 
et  ensuite  a  la  premiere,  par  cette  forte  echancrure,  suivie  d'une  dent  non  moins 
enorme  que  soutient  la  troisieme  inferieure,  caracteres  que  n'offrent  gueres  les 
Satyrides  de  cette  section,  et  ou  la  dent  la  plus  proeminente  du  bord  exterieur, 
comme  a  Banksia  God.,  se  prononce  a  Textremite  de  la  premiere  superieure,  quand 
il  en  existe  une. 

Je  ne  connais  que  des  Yanessides  qui  puissent  presenter  en  meme  temps  des 
premieres  ailes  dechirees  de  cette  maniere  a  leur  bord  exterieur,  et  des  secondes 
ailes  arrondies  et  sans  dentelures.  La  Van.  Archesia,  Or.  pourrait,  entre  autres, 
nous  en  offrir  un  example.  Et  cependant  chez  les  Yanessides,  lorsque  les  premieres 
ailes  y  sont  ainsi  dentelees  et  decoupees,  les  secondes  le  sont  egale-[75]  ment, 
plus  ou  moins,  par  la  regie  assez  generate  qui  vent  que  chez  les  Lepidopteres  les 
secondes  ailes  y  soient  toujours  plutot  munies  de  dentelures  que  les  premieres. 

Yoici  done,  pour  la  forme  des  ailes,  un  argument  en  faveur  de  mon  opinion. 
Passons  aux  dessins. 


NEORDTOPIS   SEPULTA.  19 

Avant  que  d'assayer  de  les  rehabiliter  dans  cette  espece,  il  me  faut  decider 
une  autre  question,  a  savoir  si  ces  dessins  appartiennent  a  la  premiere  aile  ou  a 
la  seconde.  Notre  confrere  les  tient  pour  etre  propres  a  cette  derniere.  Je  ne 
suis  pas  de  son  avis,  et  voice  pourquoi: 

Je  pense  que  la  seconde  aile  est  en  grande  partie  denudee  de  ces  ecailles  a 
sa  face  inferieure,  celle  que  nous  voyons. 

Co  qui  me  le  fait  croire,  c'est  que  deja  dans  sa  marge  abdominale,  ainsi  que  je 
1'ai  deja  dit,  on  suit  a  travers  la  membrane  le  contour  interieur  de  la  premiere  aile, 
et  d'une  maniere  trop  distincte  pour  admettre  que  1'adhesion  des  deux  ailes  le  put 
permettre,  si  les  deux  faces  de  la  seconde  etaient  revetues  de  leurs  ecailles. 

Ce  qui  me  le  fait  croire  encore,  c'est  qu'a  cette  seconde  aile,  la  petite  lunule 
blanche  de  I'angle  externe  (fig.  B  [PI.  I,  fig.  16]),  qui  est  situee  stir  le  bord  lui- 
meme,  et  qui  y  est  exterieurement  coupee  par  lui,  ne  saurait  devoir  y  exister  a 
cette  place,  si  on  en  juge  par  la  loi  suivie  dans  leur  position  normale  parmi  la 
majeure  partie  des  Diurnes.  En  effet,  a  aucun,  ou  a  bien  pen  du  moins,  je  ne 
connais  pas  a  cet  angle  de  lunule  extreme,  ainsi  placee  sur  le  bord  lui-meme  des 
secondes  ailes,  et  dans  cette  position,  rejetee  en  arriere  de  celle  qui  la  precede. 

Regie  assez  generale,  la  serie  marginale  de  taches  lunulaires  ou  autres,  pupil- 
lees  ou  non,  qui  affectent  ces  ailes,  est  d'habitude  concentrique  a  leur  base,  et  la 
lunule  en  [76]  question  serait  sur  cette  seconde  aile  placee  contre  cette  regie. 

A  examiner  cette  aile  dans  la  fig.  B  [PI.  I,  fig.  16],  on  comprend  de  suite 
que  cette  lunule  n'y  est  pas  a  sa  place  normale;  elle  choque  meme  la  ou  elle  est 
situee,  tandis  que  si  je  la  reporte  (sans  la  bouger,  bien  entendu)  sous  la  premiere 
aile  (ainsi  que  je  le  fais  a  la  fig.  C  [PI.  I,  fig.  15]),  elle  s'y  adapte  tout  natu- 
rellement  dans  1'ordre  que  lui  est  le  plus  rationnel  avec  les  autres. 

Par  ce  fait,  a  la  place  qu'occupe  cette  lunule,  la  seconde  aile  serait  done  en- 
core transparente?  Observons  en  passant  que  dans  les  especes  ou  une  semblable 
lunule  ou  tache  oculaire,  se  remarque  en  dessous,  vers  I'angle  externe  des  deux 
ailes  (comme  a  Melanitis  Undularis,  Dr.;  Protogenia,  Cr.,  par  ex.),  cette  tache 
qui  est  toujours  placee  un  pen  avant  la  marge,  qui  ne  Vinterrompt  jamais  comme 
ici,  est  toujours  (comme  ici,  du  reste)  entre  les  deux  dernieres  superieures,  et  non 
entre  la  derniere  superieure  et  la  costale. 

S'il  est  des  exceptions  a  cette  regie,  elles  ne  sauraient  etre  qu'en  bien  petit 
nombre,  et  lorsque  les  lunules  marginales  y  sont  presentes  en  nombre  considera- 
ble; mais  s'il  n'y  en  a  plus  qu'une  ou  deux,  celle  de  I'angle  externe  sera  placee 
ainsi  que  je  viens  de  la  dire,  et  non  ailleurs. 

Toujours  a  1'appui  de  cette  transparence,  que  j'attribue  a  la  seconde  aile  de  la 
Sepulta,  si  j'interroge  le  peu  de  la  charpente  alaire  qu'on  y  distingue,  et  qui  est 
suffisant  pour  la  restituer  telle  qu'elle  devait  etre,  ou  a  bien  pen  de  chose  pres 
(comme  a  la  fig.  C  [PL  I,  fig.  15]),  on  voit  que  la  tache  semiorbiculaire  et  obscure 


20  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

de  1'angle  interne  y  semble  partagee  par  une  nervule  de  la  seconde  aile  tres  bien 
ecrite,  par  la  deuxieme  inferieure.  Or,  1'etude  de  cette  partie  de  la  [77]  ptero- 
logie,  qui  ti  pour  objet  les  lois  relatives  a  la  position,  a  la  forme,  comme  a  la 
presence  et  a  1'absence  des  dessins  et  des  taches,  nous  apprend  que  jamais  une 
lunule  ou  line  tache  orbiculaire  marginale  n'est  divisee  par  une  nervule,  mais 
plutot  par  le  pli  internervulaire,  les  nervules  separant  d'habitude  ces  sortes  de 
taches,  et  ne  les  scindant  pas. 

Par  induction,  je  dirai  done  que  cette  tache  orbiculaire  n'est  pas  encore  ici  a  sa 
vraie  place  sous  la  seconde  aile.  Mais  si  je  1'attribue  a  la  premiere,  ainsi  que  tout 
a  1'heure  je  1'ai  fait  pour  la  petite  lunule,  a  son  tour  elle  s'y  adapte  marveilleusement 
bien  (fig.  C  [PI.  I,  fig.  15]),  entre  la  troisieme  inferieure  et  la  sous-mediane,  et 
en  plus,  son  rejet  en  dehors,  qui  nous  choquait  il  y  a  un  instant,  n'a  actuellement 
rien  que  d'assez  normal. 

Allant  plus  loin,  si  la  grande  tache  orbiculaire,  fort  noire,  qui  la  surmonte,  et 
qui  a  la  place  qu'elle  occupe  sous  la  seconde  aile  pent  y  exister  sans  discussion, 
ainsi  que  1'autre  petite  lunule  blanche  qui  se  voit  au-dessus,  sont  reportees  a  la 
premiere  aile  (fig.  C  [PI.  I,  fig.  15]),  elles  viennent  y  completer  cet  ensemble,  qui 
parait  alors  fort  rationnel,  des  plus  habituels,  et  dont  au  besoin  nous  trouverions  un 
exemple  dans  la  Van.  Alcithoe.  Cr.,  etc. 

Et  ici,  il  n'y  a  pas  a  s'y  tromper  les  nervures  encore  existantes  a  cette 
seconde  aile,  sont  bien  representees  a  leur  place  voulue,  selon  les  lois  de  la  So- 
lenopterologie. 

[78]  Or,  si  la  nervule  dont  s'agit  (la  deuxieme  inferieure)  est  a  sa  place  nor- 
male,  la,  tache  orbiculaire  qu'elle  divise  n'y  est  pas.  Done,  elle  doit  appartenir 
forcement  a  1'autre  aile. 

Puisque  nous  voici  fixes  sur  la  position  plus  que  probable  de  ces  deux  autres 
taches  de  la  seconde  aile,  convenons  que  pour  les  y  maintenir  il  faudrait  que  cette 
aile  eut  precisement  conserve  sea  ecailles  a  cette  place.  C'est  chose  possible,  mais 
chose  peu  probable. 

D'apres  ce  qui  precede,  je  stiis  done  porte  a  croire,  comme  je  1'ai  deja 
avance,  si  la  denudation  presque  complete  du  dcssous  de  cette  seconde  aile, 
et  que  Faction  des  eaux  sedimenteuses  qui  a  agi  sur  cette  face,  vti  Fadherence 
de  toutes  les  ecailles  a  1'autre  eclat  de  cette  marne  qui  nous  est  inconnue,  n'a 
pu  atteindre  les  portions  de  la  premiere  aile  qu'elle  abrite. 

En  plus,  par  Fanalogie  et  le  facies  de  la  Sepulta,  ayant  tout  lieu  de  pen- 
ser  que  le  dessus  de  toutes  ses  ailes  devait  etre  d'uii  brim  sombre,  uni  et  prive 
de  tout  dessin  tranche,  ou  varie  de  vives  couleurs,  par  cela  memo,  j'en  induis 
[79]  que  la  surface  superieure  de  la  seconde  aile  n'a  pu  empecher  les  dessins 
qu'elle  recouvrait  de  paraitre,  sans  confusion  aucune,  a  travers  la  couche  uni- 
colore  des  ecailles  du  dessus,  generalement  tres  fines  dans  les  Satyrides.  Leur 


XEORINOPIS    SEPUT/PA.  21 

adherence    intime    a   la    surface   inferieure    de    la    premiere    aile    aura    me  me    du 
'augmenter  la  transparence  de  la  seconde. 

Mais  avec  assez  de  raison,  on  pourrait  me  demander  a  mon  tour,  par  quel 
privilege,  ce  qui  reste  de  non  reconvert  de  la  premiere  aile  n'a  pas  ete  altere 
par  ce  meme  frottement,  oir  plutot  par  son  impression  sur  1'eclat  qui  a  mis  ti 
jour  cette  empreinte?  De  cet  argument  ad  hominem,  je  ne  pourrais  me  tirer 
je  Tavoue,  qu'en  arguant  que  nous  ne  voyons  que  par  transparence  les  taches 
et  dessins,  fort  admissibles,  de  la  face  superieure. 

Par  ce  que  je  vais  ajonter  encore,  on  pourrait  en  deduire  que  selon  le 
besoin  que  j'ai  de  la  denudation,  ou  de  Vintactum  des  ecailles  du  dessous  de 
cette  deuxieme  aile,  je  les  admets  ou  les  repousse  pour  mieux  soutenir  1'opinion 
que  j'avance 

II  est  de  fait  que  par  la  marge  obscure  de  la  seconde  aile  qui  se  decoupe  si 
nettement  sur  la  premiere,  jc  suis  force  de  reconnaitre  que  les  ecailles  de  ses 
bords  ont  du  y  etre  plus  respectees,  peut-etre,  qu'ailleurs,  pour  nous  apparaitre 
encore  avec  une  pareille  vigueur;  mais  peut-etre  aussi  la  concordance  d'une 
semblable  marge  en  dessus,  et  qui  n'aurait  rien  que  de  normal,  concourt  ainsi 
a  [80]  la  rendre  aussi  visiblement  nette  que  nous  la  voyons  aujourd'hui? 

De  toute  maniere,  il  est  impossible  de  Fadmettre  comme  dessin  apparte- 
nant  au  dessous  de  la  premiere  aile,  ainsi  qu'a  du  le  comprendre  M.  Bois- 
duval,  par  une  erreur  d'optiquc,  que  deja  sans  doute  il  a  reconnu  lui-meme. 

L'absence  bien  regrettable  de  1'eclat  qui  recouvrait  cette  Sepulta  est  cause 
de  taut  d'incertitude,  car  je  ne  mets  pas  en  doute  qu'il  devait  conserver,  a 
son  tour,  la  majeure  partie  des  ecailles  de  toutes  ces  ailes,  avec  lesquelles  il 
etait  en  contact. 

Tant  bien  que  mal,  nous  voici  done  edifies  sur  la  portion  exterieure  de 
ces  ailes.  Continuous  cet  examen  en  marchant  vers  leur  origine. 

Je  rcprends  le  dessin  original. 

Apres  cette  serie  de  taches  marginales,  il  existe  sur  la  cote  elle-meme, 
avant  I'angle  externe  de  la  seconde  aile,  une  large  eclaircie  blanche,  quelque 
pen  ovalaire,  nettement  dessinee  en  dedans,  et  posee  sur  la  place  qu'a,  la  pre- 
miere aile  doit  occuper  la  disco-eel lulaire  et  le  commencement  des  deux  premieres 
.superieures. 

La  position  de  cette  tache  blanche  a  la  seconde  aile  n'a  rien  de  refutable, 
non  plus  que  celle  tres  obscure  qui  lui  succede,  puis  1'autre  tache  blanche,  et 
enfiu  la  masse  obscure  qui  couvre  toute  la  base. 

Ces  dessins  maculaires  peuvent,  a  la  rigueur,  y  exister,  comme  n'y  pas  etre, 
de  meme  qu'ils  ne  sont  guere  acceptables  a  leur  autre  surface;  car  ce  que  nous 
voyons  est  bien  un  dessous  d'aile  et  non  un  dessus. 

Les  dentelures  externes  de  la  taehe  basale,  sont  en  dessous  des  plus  natu- 


MMMOIIJS    A.    A.    A.    8. 


22  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

relies,  et  dans  nos  Satyrides,  dans  [81]  nos  Vancssides,  nous  en  retrouvons 
de  nombreux  excmples. 

Mais  un  instant,  ne  nous  pressons  pas  de  juger:  examinons  attentivement 
1'original:  qu'y  voyons-nous? 

Deja,  sur  le  bord  costal  de  la  premiere  aile,  nous  apercevons  en  efFet,  sur 
notre  gauche,  un  commencement  de  cette  blanche  cclaircic  qui  succede  aux  lu- 
nules,  et  a  notre  droite,  le  bord  interieur  de  cette  eclaircie  y  est  des  plus  evi- 
dent! (Voy.  fig.  B  [PL  I,  fig.  16]  ). 

Comment  done  se  fait-il  que  ces  ailes  ainsi  ployees,  ccs  vestiges  de  la  pre- 
miere aile  viennent  s'adapter  d'une  manic-re  si  complete  avec  toute  la  portion 
blanche  qui  sc  continue  sous  la  seconde  aile?  cela  se  pent  rencontrer,  je 
Tavoue,  mais  c'est  pen  frequent. 

Bien  mieux,  le  large  sommet  de  la  tache  blanche  anguleuse  et  obscure  qui 
lui  succede,  se  voit  aussi  sur  le  bord  un  peu  diffus  de  la  cote,  dans  la  partie 
externe,  et  se  relie  egalement  bicn  avec  celle  que  la  seconde  aile  nous  laisse, 
scion  moi,  aperoevoir.  Plus  loin  encore,  le  commencement  de  la  grande  tache  ba- 
sale,  hachee  a  son  dehors,  ne  se  continue-t-il  pas  sur  la  cote  de  la  premiere  aile? 

Enfin,  si  cette  derniere  tache  appartenait  a  la  seconde  viendrait-clle,  ainsi 
qu'elle  le  fait,  s'arreter  precisement  sur  le  bord  interieur  de  la  premiere,  que 
par  transparence  nous  pouvons  suivre  parfaitement  a  partir  du  moment  ou  il 
est  reconvert  par  la  seconde  aile?  En  1'attribuant  a  cette  derniere,  ce  serait 
agir  centre  toute  apparence  plausible,  centre  toute  disposition  naturclle  de  ces 
sortes  de  taches,  et  venir  1'interrompre  benevolement  et  sans  motifs  specieux,  bicn 
avant  I'angle  anal  de  la  seconde  aile,  sur  lequel  elle  devrait  venir  s'appuyer 
pour  demeurer  dans  la  forme  la  plus  normale !  [82] 

Cette  interruption  nous  fixe  done  aussi  bien  que  le  commencement  de 
toutcs  les  taches  du  haut,  sur  Fattribution  que  nous  devons  en.faire  a  la  pre- 
miere aile,  et  non  a  la  seconde,  et  le  peu  qui  reste  de  ces  divers  dessins  sous 
cette  derniere,  si  toutefois  il  en  reste,  doit  se  confondre  avec  elles,  sans  con- 
tribner  beaucoup  a  nous  egarer. 

D'ailleurs,  nombre  de  Lepidopteres  diurnes  des  groupes,  pres  desquels  doit 
venir  se  ranger  la  Sepulta,  presentent  sous  leurs  premieres  ailes  de  semblablcs 
taches  costales  et  basales,  ainsi  placees,  ainsi  dentelees,  ainsi  conformees;  d'hab- 
itude  me  me,  elles  y  sont  les  vestiges  plus  ou  moins  complets  de  ces  larges 
bandes  transversales  qui  couvrent  ces  memes  ailes  d'une  maniere  plus  ou  moins 
accusee;  assez  souvent  elles  vont  se  repetant  sous  les  sccondes  ailes,  et  s'y 
continuant  d'une  maniere  parfois  assez  snivie,  et  selon  1'expansion  donnee  aux 
ailes.  Elles  y  sont  meme,  a  mon  avis,  un  indice  de  celle  quo  la  nature  a 
entendu  leur  accorder  dans  le  vol,  quand  les  bandes  du  dessous  des  deux  ailes 
s'y  rajustent  bien  exactement. 


NEOIUNOPIS    SEPULTA.  23 

Voici  done  les  taches  et  les  dessins  qtii,  apres  nous  avoir  aides  a"  rcconnaitre  la 
forme  ct  la  nature  plus  ou  raoins  opaque  de  ces  ailes,  sont  actuellement  eux-memes 
controles  par  la  constitution  physique  de  ces  organes,  restitues  a  leur  places 
voulues,  et  sous  1'aile  qui  les  doit  comporter. 

Voyons  actuellement  si  1'etude  du  systeme  nervulaire  viendra  confirmer  ou 
detruire  ces  suppositions.  Get  examen  anatomique  a  bien  son  prix  actuellement 
qu'on  en  comprend  mieux  1'importance. 

Avant  tout,  jc  dois  reconnaitre  quo  ces  precicux  vestiges  sont  parfaitemeht 
indiques  la  ou  ils  doivent  etre,  sur  [83]  cette  copie  de  la  piece  originate,  et  que  le 
dessinateur  nous  les  laisse  suivre  assez  facilement,  taut  a  une  aile  qu'a  1'autre. 

Que  reste-t-il  de  la  charpente  alaire  de  la  premiere  aile?  D'abord,  des  traces 
de  la  costale;  puis,  au-dessus  de  la  lunule  blanche  de  1'apex,  les  premier  et 
deuxieme  rameaux  des  trois  apicales  qui  doivent  jaillir  de  la  troisieme  supericure. 
Diverses  stries  s'echappant  du  premier,  accusent  sans  doute  ici  les  restes  d'un 
dessin  perdu  ou  quelqucs  plis  anormaux;  c'est  sans  importance.  Puis,  au-dessus 
de  la  lunule  noire,  on  distingue  fort  bien  la  deuxieme  superieure,  et  plus  bas,  enfin, 
la  premiere. 

Sur  le  bord  exterieur,  je  devine  encore  1'extremite  des  deux  premieres  in- 
fericures;  a  travers  la  scconde  aile,  un  trait  noir  qui  passe  entre  la  lunule  blanche 
et  la  large  tache  noire  orbiculaire,  m'indique  bien  la  position  de  la  deuxieme  infe- 
rieure; enfin,  je  suis  non  moins  facilement,  entre  les  deux  taches  noires  orbicu- 
laires,  la  troisieme  inferieure,  un  pen  moins  accusee. 

Ces  deux  nervules  sc  relient  visiblement  a  la  portion  tres  lisible  de  la  mediane 
qui,  sur  le  dessin,  coupe  le  bas  de  la  premiere  tache  blanche  costale. 

Toujours  a  la  premiere  aile,  la  troisieme  inferieure  s'y  reconnait  parfaitement 
a  la  place  voulue,  au  milieu  de  la  dent  qu'elle  soiitient.  En  effet,  le  plus  souvent, 
quand  une  dentelure,  pareillcment  situee,  afFecte  le  bord  exterieur  des  premieres 
ailes,  ainsi  qu'on  le  pent  remarquer  dans  les  Van.  Progne,  A.rchesia,  L.-album, 
Anylica  et  autres,  cette  troisieme  inferieure  a  la  prerogative  de  lui  servir  de 
support. 

Au-dessus  de  son  extremite  nous  voyons  un  faux  trait,  sans  doute,  car  la  pre- 
sence d'une  nervule  me  parait  impossible  a  cet  endroit.  Plus  bas,  au  dessous  d'elle, 
le  pli  [84  |  qui,  selon  moi,  doit  traverser  la  tache  orbiculaire  la  plus  inferieure, 
precede  encore  un  trait,  sans  valeur  a  mes  yeux,  puisqu'il  invest  inanalysable;  et, 
en  definitive,  on  voit  la  sous-mediane  (jui  so  projette  a  travers  la  seconde  aile, 
so  confondant  avec  les  traces  de  la  seconde  inferieure  de  cette  derniere. 

Plus  bas,  avant  1'angle  interne,  un  autre  leger  faux  trait  me  semble  encore 
inexplicable,  car  la  saillie  dentee  de  la  marge  au  dehors,  precise  assez  la  place,  qu'a 
la  premiere  aile,  doit  occuper  1'extremite  de  la  sous-mediane  qui  d'habitude  reste 
volontiers  assc-x  distante  de  la  mediane.  En  plus,  il  ne  saurait  exister  iei  d'inter- 


24  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

mediane,  dont'la  presence  ne  se  revele  qiie  dans  les  tribus  trop  eloignees  de  celle 
dont  la  Sepulta  fait  partie,  pour  nous  en  preoccuper  ici. 

La  nervnlation  de  notre  premiere  aile  se  trouve  done  ainsi  etre  an  complet,  on 
;i  pen  pres,  et  deja  je  la  peux  rchabiliter  avec  le  crayon,  telle  qu'ellc  doit  etre. 

Passons  a  la  seconde. 

La  cote  senlement  se  soupconne,  on  voit  parfaitcment  comme  des  traits 
blancs,  la  costale  qui  est  ici  tres  breve  en  son  trajet;  puis  la  sous-costale,  la  me- 
diane,  et  le  de-[85]  part  des  trois  superieures  qui  se  relient  tres  bicn  en  blanc  sin- 
la  marge  dentelee  de  la  tache  basale  (la  deuxieme  moins  facilement) . 

Ensuite  vient  la  mediane,  dont  on  suit  le  parcours,  ainsi  que  sa  ramification 
qui  forme  la  premiere  inferieure  et  qui  passe  sous  la  plus  grande  des  deux  taches 
orbiculaires ;  puis  la  deuxieme  (celle  qui,  centre  toutes  les  lois  de  la  Spilopterol- 
ogie,  couperait  la  deuxieme  tache  orbiculaire,  si  on  Tattribuait  a  la  seconde  aile). 

Vient  enfin  la  troisieme  inferieure,  representee,  peut-etre,  par  une  forte  ligne 
blanche,  et  qui  doit  s'attacher  a  la  mediane,  peu  avant  rarticulation  femoro-tibiale 
de  la  patte. 

Dans  les  bords  posterieur  et  abdominal,  je  ne  peux  distinguer  ni  la  sous- 
mediane,  ni  1'interne,  qui  sont  disparues  dans  la  portion  restante,  et  evidemment 
diaphane  de  cette  aile  qui  se  detache  ici  sur  le  fond  de  la  pierre. 

Maintenant,  si  sur  le  trace  de  la  charpente  alaire,  scrupuleusement  caique  sur 
celui  de  la  Sepulta,  et  que  je  donne  ici  (fig.  C  [PI.  I,  fig.  15])  retablie  dans  son 
entier;  si,  dis-je,  on  caique  cette  nervulation  sur  un  papier  vegetal  et  qu'on 
reporte  cette  copie  sur  le  dessin  de  la  pierre  originate,  qui  s'y  verra  par  trans- 
parence, ou  bien  sur  ceux  de  la  fig.  C,  qui  est  1'insecte  tel  que  je  le  comprends,  on 
sera  frappe  de  la  precision  avec  laquelle  ces  diverses  nervures  s'adapteront  an  dessin 
et  aux  taches  que  j'attribue  a  la  premiere  aile,  ainsi  qu'aux  vestiges  de  la  charpente 
alaire  de  la  seconde  aile.  Ainsi,  on  pourra  facilement  controler  mes  assertions. 

Si  done  la  Solenopterologie  vient  a  son  tour  confirmer  mes  rectifications,  je 

dois  croire  que  si  je  me  trompe,  je  ne  m'abuse  que  de  bien  peu 

[8G]  Maintenant que  faire  de  ce  Diurne? 

Comme  plus  haut  je  1'ai  dit,  c'est  evidemment  une  espece  aux  premieres 
ailes  fortement  echancrees  et  dentelees,  tandis  que  les  secondes  y  sont  arrondies 
et  simples,  a  meplats  bien  accuses. 

Avons-nous  dans  nos  especes  vivantes  quelques-unes  qui  nous  oftrcnt  cette 
coupe  peu  commune,  et  dont  les  ailes  des  Van.  Arcliesia  et  Iphita  de  Cramer 
peuvent  nous  donner  un  exemple? 

Cette  Sepulta  me  semble  tenir  beaucoup,  tout  bien  consulte,  et  des  Vanessides 
et  des  Satyrides,  telles  que  nous  les  comprenons 

Evidemment  la  Sepulta  ne  saurait  etre  une  Cyllo  proprement  elite.  Serait  ce 
done  une  Yanesside?  Si  la  forme  des  ailes  s'y  prete  quelque  pen,  son  facies, 


VKOKINOPIS    SEPULTA.  25 

I'agencement  des  ses  dessins  alaircs,  me  porterait  a  en  fairc  avec  M.  Boisduval  un 
Satyride,  appartenant  a  un  de  ces  genres  inter-  [87]  mediaires  de  ces  deux  families 
nombrenses,  deja  si  pen  eloignees  a  leur  etat  parfait 

A  essayer  dc  caser  cct  insecte,  j'abuscrais  a  n'cn  pas  douter  de  la  patience  du 
lectcur;  cependant,  en  pen  de  mots,  je  pourrais  lui  faire  observer  (en  ne  nous 
occupant  que  de  la  premiere  aile,  la  seule  que  nous  connaissons,  a  mon  avis)  que 
la  large  tache  basale  qui  se  voit  ici,  comme  a  tant  de  Diurnes,  est  avec  les  autres 
dessins  de  sa  robe,  le  propre  de  nombreux  Satyrides  de  cette  taile  et  de  cette 
coloration,  qu'avec  justesse  M.  Boisduval  reconnait  devoir  etre  d'une  teinte  ter- 
reuse,  seulement  variee  de  blanc  et  de  noir. 

La  petite  lunule  noire  me  ferait  penser  qu'en  dessus  il  devait  exister  une  tache 
oculaire,  dont  elle  est  la  simple  repetition  en  dessous,  et  precisement  a  1'endroit 
(entre  les  premiere  et  deuxieme  superieures)  ou  cette  tache  existe  le  plus  habitu- 
ellement  dans  nombre  de  Satyrides  de  ce  facies,  quand  elle  y  est  unique. 

Certes,  il  devait  y  avoir  en  dessous,  le  long  du  bord  exterieur  et  j usque 
dans  1'apex,  une  serie  disparue  d'arceaux  internervulaires-,  formant  une  double 
ligne  marginale,  ainsi  qu'elle  se  voit  encore  entre  la  dent  et  Tangle  interne. 

La  nervulation  si  peu  difterente  parfois  entre  nombre  de  Satyrides  et  de 
Vanessides,  ne  permet  pas,  sous  ce  rapport,  d'assigner  un  poste  bien  fixe  a  la 
Sepulta;  en  plus,  1'etat  de  son  empreinte  ne  nous  permet  pas  de  savoir  si  la 
base  de  ses  nervures  est  affectee,  en  tout  ou  partie,  d'entre  elles,  de  ces  renfle- 
ments  vesiculeux  si  communs  a  divers  groupes  de  Satyrides.  [88] 

Nous  ne  savons  rien  non  plus  de  1'absence  ou  de  la  presence  des  disco- 
cellulaires,  et  la  perte  assez  prompte  de  la  costale  aux  deux  ailes,  dans  la  cote, 
s'accorde  moins  avec  la  marche  plus  volontiers  prolongee  de  cette  memo  ner- 
vurc  dans  les  Satyrides,  de  I'apparence  de  la  Sepulta,  etc.,  etc. 

Bref,  m'abstenir  pour  decidei1  rigoxireusement  de  quel  genre  elle  pent  etre, 
ou  meine  approximativement,  est  ce  que  j'ai  de  plus  prudent  a  faire;  mieux  que 
moi,  d'autres  le]ndopteristes  pouvant  s'acquitter  de  ce  soin.  Et  a  ceux  qui, 
fatigues  de  tant  de  lignes  sans  ce  resultat  desire,  me  diraient:  "Concluez  done,"  je 
repondrais — je  ne  sais  pas! 

Explication  des  figures  de  la  planclie. 

A  [reproduced  in  our  PI.  I,  fig.  14 1.  Cyllos  epulta,  telle  qu'elle  a  ete  comprise 
par  M.  le  docteur  Boisduval,  en  attribuant  un  appendice  caudal  a  la  deuxieme  aile. 

B  [reproduced  in  our  PI.  I,  fig.  16].  Sepulta,  telle  qu'elle  devrait  etre 
d'abord  comprise  sous  le  rapport  de  la  forme  des  deux  ailes. 

C  [reproduced  in  our  PI.  I,  fig.  15].  Sepulta,  telle  qu'elle  doit  etre  jugee, 
tant  pour  la  forme  des  ailes  que  pour  la  distribution  de  leurs  dessins  et  leur  nervu- 
lation, scion  M.  A.  Lefebvre. 


26  FOSSIL    BUTTEKFLIES. 

To  this  Dr.  Boisduval  at  once  responded,  in  the  following  language:1 — 

M.  Al.  Defebvre,  apres  avoir  ctudie  avec  soin  la  position  des  nervures,  la  dis- 
position des  ecailles  et  celle  des  taches, est  arrive  a  conclure  que 

j'avais  pris  1'aile  inferieure  pour  la  superieure,  et  que  cet  appendice  caudal,  si  man- 
ifeste  dans  1'espece  en  question,  etait  au  contraire  un  angle  appartenant  a  1'aile  an- 
terieure.  Pour  donner  plus  de  poids  a  cettc  opinion,  il  a  refait  une  plane-lie  ou  il 
ressuscite  a  sa  maniere  notre  Cyllo  sepulta.  Avee  la  queue  que  nous  avons  attri- 
buee  avec  MM.  Boyer  de  Fonscolombe,  de  Saporta,  Duponchel,  et  avec  tous  les 
entomologistes  qui  ont  vu  1'echantillon  a  1'aile  inferieure,  il  fait  un  angle  tres  aigu 
d'unc  saillie  tout  a  fait  insolite,  qu'il  place  au  milieu  de  1'aile  superieure,  taudis  qu'il 
a  fait  une  aile  inferieure  completement  arrondie.  A  cote  de  celle  figure,  il  en 
donne  une  autre  ou  il  developpe  notre  Cyllo  comme  il  pretend  que  nous  1'avons 
compris.  J'en  demande  bien  pardon  a  non  estimable  ami,  mais  jamais  je  ne  1'ai 
compris  de  cette  facon.  Je  convieus  du  reste  que  cet  intercssant  Lepidoptcre 
fossile  serait  bien  plus  antediluvien  tel  que  M.  Alexaudre  Lefebvre  le  represente, 
que  comme  nous  le  supposons,  car  nous  ne  lui  trouverions  aucun  analogue, 
attendu  que  jusqu'a  present  nous  n'avons  jamais  vu  une  seule  espece  avec  des 
ailes  superieures  anguleuses  et  appendiculees,  et  des  ailes  inferieures  arrondies 
comme  avec  un  compas,  il  faut  croire  que  la  nature  n'en  produit  plus.  Nous 
avons  toujours  observe  au  contraire  que  lorsque  les  ailes  superieures  etaient  angu- 
leuses, les  ailes  inferieures  1'etaient  aussi  d'une  maniere  tres  manifesto;  mais  ce 
que  personne  de  vous  ignore,  Messieurs,  c'est  que  tres  souvcnt  au  contraire  les 
ailes  inferieures,  surtout  dans  le  genre  dont  il  est  ici  question,  prdscntcnt  des 
appendices  caudiformes  plus  ou  moins  saillants,  et  que  parfois  les  ailes  superieures 
ont  leur  contour  simplement  sinue\  A  1'appui  de  son  opinion  d'ailes  inferieures 
arrondies,  aves  des  siipeYieures  anguleuses,  notre  collegue  a  cherche  a  trouver  un 
exemple  dans  les  figures  de  Cramer,  et  il  cite  en  consequence  la  Vanessa  [98] 
Archesia  qui  effectivement  presente  cette  forme;  mais  Cramer  a  figure  un  individu 
mutile,  que  probablement  on  avait  arrondi  avec  des  ciseaux,  car  nous  en  possedons 
un  tres  bel  exemplaire,  pris  par  M.  Drege  au  pays  des  Hottentots,  que  nous  met- 
tons  sous  les  yeux  de  la  Socie"te,  afin  qu'elle  s'assure  bien  qu'au  contraire  cette 
espece  est  une  des  plus  fortement  appendiculee.  Le  choix  de  cet  exemple  est 
malheureux.  Nous  persistons  done  tout  a  fait  dans  1'opinion  que  nous  avons 
emise  lors  de  la  publication  du  rapport  qui  nous  a  <3te  demande. 

Sometime  subsequently  Mr.  A.  G.  Butler  refers  to  this  dispute  between  the 
two  French  writers  in  the  following  manner:2 

This  very  interesting  species  was  described   and  admirably  figured  by  Dr. 
Boisduval  in  the  French  "Annales  de  la  Societe"  Entomologique "  (1840);  that 

1  Bull.  Ent.  Soc.  France,  1851,  97-8.  2  Cat.  Satyr.,  18U-190. 


NEORESTOPIS    SKPULTA.  27 

gentleman  considered  it  to  be  a  Sutyride  allied  to  Satyrus  rohria,  caumas,  etc.,1 
"which  it  somewhat  resembles  in  the  form  of  the  wings. 

In  the  French  "Annales"  (for  1851)  M.  Lefebvre  published  a  note  upon  the 
species,  in  which  he  criticised  Dr.  Boisduval's  paper,  and  stated  that  the  fossil 
species,  instead  of  being  allied  to  roJiria,  was  evidently  a  Vanessa — that  the 
strong,  tail-like  projection  belonged  to  the  front,  and  not  to  the  hind  wings,  and 
represented  the  angular  projection  which  occurs  in  all  true  Vanessidso,  as  an  ex- 
ample of  which  he  instanced  Vanessa  (Jtmonia)  Archesia  of  Cramer.  This  re- 
markable note  was,  moreover,  accompanied  by  figures  of  the  species,  representing 
the  tail  both  upon  the  front  and  hind  wings. 

In  the  same  volume  of  the  "Annales"  Dr.  Boisduval  gives  an  excellent  answer- 
to  M.  Lefebvre's  observations,  in  which  he  well  remarks,  "Nous  n'avons  jamais 
vn  vine  seule  espece  avec  les  ailes  [190]  supeVieures  anguleuses  et  appendiculees, 
et  les  ailes  infericures  arrondies  comme  avec  tin  compas;"  and  certainly,  did  such 
an  insect  ever  exist,  its  wings  would  be  utterly  useless  as  organs  of  flight,  for 
they  would  invariably  carry  it  downwards.  In  all  insects  which  have  small  and 
rounded  hind  wings,  the  costa  of  the  front  wings  always  far  exceeds  the  inner 
margin  in  length  and  strength,2  whereas  in  M.  Lefebvre's  insect  the  reverse  would 
be  the  case. 

It  should  be  borne  in  mind,  however,  that  there  are  two  distinct  criticisms 
by  Lefebvre,  to  the  second  of  which  Boisduval  only  alludes  in  the  most  general 
way,  and  does  not  meet,  while  Butler  makes  no  reference  to  it  at  all.  As  far  as 
regards  the  position  of  the  tail,  Lefebvre  is  unquestionably  wrong  (see  PI.  I,  fig. 
10),  although  his  fault  is  primarily  due  to  the  inaccuracy  of  the  engraving  given 
by  Boisduval,  an  inaccuracy  which  is  slightly  accentuated  in  our  copy  of  it  (PI.  I, 
fig.  17).  But  by  far  the  larger  part  of  his  paper  is  made  up  of  a  detailed  argu- 
ment, drawn  from  the  position  and  character  of  the  markings  and  from  the 
direction  of  the  nervures,  in  which  he  endeavors  to  prove,  and  in  most  cases 
really  does  prove  (though  he  errs  in  some  of  his  statements  concerning  the  neura- 
tion),  that  these  markings  belong  to  the  front  and  not  to  the  hind  wing.  He 
argues,  for  instance,  that  the  two  oval  dark  spots  are  plainly  traversed  by  the 
nervures  of  the  hind  wing,  and  therefore  cannot  belong  to  that  wing;  that  the 
minute  white  spot  apparently  on  the  outer  border  of  the  hind  wing  is  only  half 
a  spot  and  must  belong  to  the  fore  wing,  and  that  the  markings  on  and  near  the 

1  Spccicu  of  Lethe.  2  As,  for  Instance,  in  the  Sphingidie,  IJeliconidre,  etc. 


28 


FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 


costal  border  traverse  both  wings  and  must  belong  to  the  one  to  which  they  cer- 
tainly belong  in  part,  the  front  wing.  To  this  Boisduval  makes  no  sort  of  answer, 
and  Butler,  to  judge  from  his  silence  in  the  matter,  and  the  comparative  illustrations 
he  gives  on  a  plate  published  subsequently,1  considers  it  unproven.  All  of  these 
writers  are,  however,  entirely  wrong  in  supposing  that  the  under  surface  of  the 
wings  is  exposed  to  view,  and  that  the  hind  wing  covers  the  front  wing.  Bois- 
duval does  not  distinctly  state  this;  but  the  whole  tenor  of  his  remarks  shows  that 
this  was  the  view  taken  by  him;  and  when  Lefebvre  says:  "Si  de  Toeil  on  suit  les 
bords  de  la  seconde  aile,  qu'avec  le  Docteur  je  reconnais  couvrir  en  grande  partie 
la  premiere,"  no  objection  is  offered  in  Dr.  Boisduval's  response;  nor  does  he  demur 
to  Lefebvre's  statement,  when  the  latter  speaks  of  the  "  face  inferieure,  celle 
que  nous  voyons."  As  we  shall  show  later,  however,  the  upper  surface  of  the 
wings  is  that  exhibited  on  the  stone,  and  the  front  wing  almost  entirely  conceals 
the  hind  one;  compare  PI.  I,  fig.  13,  drawn  anew  from  the  fossil. 

In  the  same  place  to  w,hich  we  have  just  referred  Mr.  Butler  adds  the  fol- 
lowing remarks  on  the  probable  affinities  of  this  fossil:2 

The  true  position  of  C.  sepulta  is  undoubtedly  in  the  family  8atyridce;  and, 
so  far  as  can  be  judged  from  the  beautiful  figure  in  the  "Aunales,"s  it  is  exactly 
intermediate  in  character  between  three  nearly  allied  genera  now  existing,  viz.  :— 
Neorina,  Antirrhcea  and  Anckiphlebia,  its  more  immediate  allies  being  the  com- 
monest species  in  each  of  the  above  genera.  Its  characters  are  distributed  be- 
tween these  three  species  as  follows:  — 


Neorina  Lowii, 
Uoisd. 

AnHrrhwi    />/»- 
loctetes,  Linn. 

A  nchiphlcbia 
Archtva,  Iliilm. 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

* 

.- 

* 

*? 

Submarginal  line  of  hind  wings,       

* 

i  Lep.  Exot.  pi.  4«. 
'-'  Lor,,  cit.,  \).  I'.iO. 


8  In  tliis  figure  the  ueuration  has  not  been  -very  clearly  defined, 
the.  ruining  of  the  himl  wings  not  being:  continuous. 


NEORINOPIS    SEPULTA.  \Zsi 

The  venation  appears  to  be  nearly  similar  to  that  of  Anchiphlebia.  It  is 
doubtful,  however,  whether  the  drawing  of  the  veins  has  been  sufficiently  attended 
to,  to  offer  any  reliable  characters. 

In  this  paper  he  quotes  Boisduval's  locality  "Aix  en  Provence,"  but  when  he 
next  refers  to  this  insect1  he  gives  it  as  from  "Aix-la-Chapelle,  "White  sandstone," 
a  mistake,  however,  corrected  subsequently.  In  this  latter  paper  he  remarks: 

I  have  discussed  the  position  of  this  species  in  my  catalogue  of  Satyridse, 
pp.  189,  190;  showing  that  its  nearest  ally  is  Neorina  Lowii,  a  common  Bornean 
species,  but  that  it  also  has  a  slightly  more  distant  relationship  to  Antirrhcea  Phi- 
loctetes  and  Anchiphlebia  A.rchcea,  two  common  tropical  American  forms;  the 
amount  of  affinity,  as  regards  the  first  two  of  these  species,  may  be  seen  on  my 
plate,  figs.  4  and  5;  the  resemblance  to  Anchiphlebia  is  less  striking,  and  the 
affinity  more  doubtful ;  it  has  nothing  to  do  with  Cyllo. 

That  Butler  should  have  so  nearly  pointed  out  the  exact  affinities  of  this 
insect  from  the  simple  study  of  Boisduval's  plate,  is  unquestionably  due  to  his 
extended  familiarity  with  butterflies,  and  especially  with  the  forms  of  this  sub- 
family; but  it  also  shows  the  essential  harmony  between  the  markings  of  the 
under  and  upper  surface  of  the  wings  of  butterflies,  notwithstanding  their  fre- 
quent great  dissimilarity;  for  Butler  compares  this  fossil  with  the  recent  forms  on 
the  assumption  that  the  under  surface  of  the  wings  is  seen  in  Boisduval's  plate. 

The  actual  condition  of  the  fossil,  for  an  opportunity  of  examining  which  I 
am  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  Count  Saporta,  is  this  (see  PL  I,  fig.  13) :  The 
thorax,  hind  legs  and  both  pair  of  wings  of  the  left  side  are  preserved,  almost 
completely;  all  the  rest  is  lost.  The  thorax  is  viewed  from  above  and  somewhat 
on  the  left  side;  the  hind  coxae  seem  to  be  almost  torn  away  from  their  immediate 
connection  with  the  trunk.  The  two  hind  legs  are  stretched  out  bent  at  the 
femoro-tibial  articulation ;  the  left  leg  lies  above  both  the  wings  and  is  apparently 
attached  throughout,  although  its  base  is  covered  a  little  by  the  crushed  body; 
the  right  leg  lies  below  both  the  wings  and  is  apparently  partially  detached, 
though  but  slightly,  from  the  coxa?;  the  tibio-tarsal  articulation  can  be  distin- 
guished (PL  I,  fig.  11)  but  not  the  tarsal  joints.  The  wings  are  bent  over 

i  Lep.  Exot.,  127,  pi.  xlviii.    Cienl.  Mag.,  x,  3,  pi.  i. 
MEMOIRS   A.   A.   A.    S.  6 


30  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

downward  in  a  position  the  reverse  of  that  of  repose.  The  fore  wing  covers 
the  hind  wing  as  in  nature,  but  to  such  an  extent  as  to  conceal  the  greater 
part  of  it;  the  guttered  portion  of  the  inner  margin  of  the  hind  wings  is 
almost  fully  expanded,  but  apparently  has  a  fold  next  the  submedian  nervure. 
The  fringe  of  the  fore  wing  seems  to  be  gone,  but  that  of  the  hind  wing  is 
preserved  nearly  throughout.  Head,  fore  and  middle  legs,  wings  of  the  right 
side  and  abdomen  are  wholly  wanting. 

The  upper  surface  of  the  wings  is,  therefore,  the  part  which  attracts  most 
attention.  That  it  is  the  upper  and  not  the  under  surface  which  is  exposed  to 
view  is  shown  by  the  relation  of  the  wings  to  each  other  (PI.  I,  fig.  10),  by 
their  unquestionable  attachment  to  the  thorax,  of  which  we  certainly  see  only 
the  upper  portion  with  its  smooth  arched  dome  marked  by  the  sutures  which 
separate  the  portions  which  compose  it;  and  by  the  design  itself  of  the  wings, 
which  is  such  as  pertains  to  the  upper  rather  than  to  the  under  surface  of 
butterflies  of  this  group.  These  markings  are  most  wonderfully  preserved;  and 
the  careful  and  prolonged  study  I  have  given  every  part  of  the  fossil  has 
enabled  me  to  separate,  with  a  considerable  degree  of  certitude,  the  markings 
which  appertain  to  the  fore  wing  and  those  which  belong  to  the  hind  wing. 
Those  of  the  latter  are  generally  to  be  traced  through  the  semi-diaphanous  fore 
wing  and  are  given  in  PI.  I,  fig.  8.  One  is  aided  greatly  in  this  investigation 
by  following  the  lines  and  series  of  markings  which  extend  over  both  the  ex- 
posed and  covered  portions  of  the  hind  wing;  and  then  by  comparing  the  fainter 
and  obscurer  tints  of  the  covered  portion  with  equivalent  marks  on  other  parts  of 
the  stone  covered  by  both  the  wings ;  in  this  way  the  markings  of  the  hind  wing 
may  be  separated  from  those  of  the  front  wing,  but  subject,  certainly,  to  some 
degree  of  doubt.  In  the  figure  upon  the  plate  (PI.  I,  fig.  8)  the  portions  to 
which  the  least  degree  of  doubt  attaches  are  the  outer  halves  of  the  two  wings. 
I  am  inclined  to  consider  these  as  almost  absolutely  accurate.  The  parts  on 
the  other  hand  which  are  more  likely  to  be  inaccurate  are  the  basal  halves  of 
the  median  interspaces  of  the  fore  wing  and  the  contiguous  portion  of  the 
medio-submedian  interspace.  Assuming,  however,  that  the  drawing  faithfully 


ISTEOKINOPIS    SEPULTA.  31 

represents  the  real  markings  of  this  extraordinarily  preserved  fossil,  a  detailed 
description  of  its  features  follows. 

The  basal  portion  of  the  fore  wing  (PI.  I,  fig.  8)  is  very  dark,  and  increases 
in  intensity  toward  the  border  of  the  innermost  light  patch ;  the  latter  is  bounded 
by  a  line  running  in  a  nearly  straight  course  from  the  costal  nervure,  opposite 
the  middle  of  the  upper  border  of  the  cell,  toward  the  middle  of  the  apical 
half  of  the  submcdian  nervure;  but  it  extends  slightly  outward  on  reaching  the 
lowest  median  nervule  and  just  below  this  turns  baseward  and  makes  a  large  ovoid 
curve  of  an  interspace's  diameter,  returning  to  its  course  when  it  has  nearly 
completed  the  circuit  and  reached  the  middle  of  the  medio-submedian  inter- 
space; the  outer  limit  of  this  large  pale  patch,  which  crosses  the  cell  and 
extends  nearly  to  the  middle  of  the  lower  median  interspace,  nearly  follows  a 
line  running  from  the  upper  extremity  of  the  inner  border  to  and  along  the 
middle  median  nervule.  Beyond  this  the  upper  half  of  the  wing,  half-way  to 
the  apex,  is  nearly  as  dark  as  the  basal  part,  excepting  in  a  large  light  patch 
which  crosses  the  lowest  two  subcostal  and  the  subcosto-median  interspaces,  is 
broadest  in  the  middle,  but  twice  as  broad  at  the  upper  as  at  the  lower  ex- 
tremity, and  rounded  throughout  excepting  at  the  angular  upper  basal  corner;  its 
interior  margin  is  sharply  defined,  and  is  nearly  parallel  to  the  interior  border  of 
the  inner  light  patch,  extending  in  a  straight  line  from  the  subcostal  nervure  mid- 
way between  the  origin  of  the  first  and  second  superior  nervules  to  the  upper 
median  nervule,  about  as  far  from  its  origin  as  it  is  from  the  base  of  the  first 
median  nervule;  the  exterior  border  is  powdery,  strongly  convex  and,  starting 
from  the  subcostal  nervure  midway  between  the  bases  of  the  second  and  third 
superior  nervules,  joins  the  other  border  on  the  last  median  nervule;  this  patch 
is  twice  as  long  as  broad.  Extending  from  the  next  to  the  lowest  subcostal  ner- 
vule to  the  internal  nervure,  parallel  to  the  outer  border,  is  a  broad  indistinct  pale 
band,  broadening  below,  and  on  either  side  merging  indefinitely  into  the  darker 
parts  of  the  wing,  separated  from  the  light  patches  by  only  a  narrow  belt  of 
dark  scales,  which  becomes  narrower  and  fainter  in  the  lower  half  of  the  wing; 
at  its  broadest  the  pale  band  is  a  little  broader  than  an  interspace,  and  it  con- 


32  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

tains  in  its  middle  and  at  the  middle  of  each  interspace,  as  well  as  in  the  next 
to  the  lowest  subcostal  interspace,  a  series  of  large  circular  dark  spots,  of 
nearly  or  quite  half  the  width  of  the  interspaces  in  which  they  fall,  often,  and 
especially  in  the  upper  interspaces,  enclosing  a  small  black  pupil;  these  spots 
are  almost  exactly  parallel  to  the  outer  border,  that  in  the  lowest  median  in- 
terspace with  its  outer  border  at  an  interspace  distance  from  it;  with  the  excep- 
tion of  that  in  the  lowest  subcostal  interspace,  they  are  each  surmounted  interiorly 
by  a  much  smaller  circular  light  spot,  the  centre  of  which  is  near  the  circumference 
of  the  larger  spot,  so  as  to  infringe  upon  it;  with  the  exception  of  the  upper- 
most, which  is  nearly  as  large  as  the  spot  on  whose  summit  it  is  placed,  the 
light  spots  are  of  nearly  equal  size  and  about  one-third  of  an  interspace  in 
diameter;  or  if  anything  the  two  lower,  seated  on  the  largest  spots,  are  smaller 
than  the  others;  the  wing  must  have  been  wrinkled  between  the  nervules  next 
the  outer  border,  as  shown  by  the  dark  lines  running  from  the  border  to  the 
centre  of  the  dark  spots.  The  outer  edge  and  the  apex  of  the  inner  are  uniformly 

dusky  and  rather  lighter  than  the  other  dark  parts  of  the  wing;   the  fringe  is 

v 
evidently  lost. 

The  hind  wing  is  very  dark  at  the  base,  like  the  fore  wing,  nearly  as  far  as 
the  extreme  tip  of  the  cell ;  this  dark  area  merges  gradually  into  a  lighter  portion, 
which  crosses  the  wing  as  a  very  broad  equal  band  having  its  outer  limit  at  a 
narrow,  dark,  regular  belt,  with  ill  defined  outline,  which  crosses  the  wing  sub- 
parallel  to  the  general  course  of  the  outer  border  a  little  within  the  middle  of 
the  outer  half  of  the  wing;  within  this  broad  light  band  are  two  narrow  trans- 
verse powdery  streaks  of  dark  scales,  one  extending  from  the  extreme  tip  of 
the  cell,  and  broadening  a  little  in  its  course,  running  in  a  curve  opening  inward 
to  the  inner  border;  the  other  starting  from  the  same  point  in  an  opposite  direc- 
tion, and  passing  in  a  sinuous  course,  with  varying  width,  toward  the  middle  of 
the  basal  two-thirds  of  the  upper  subcostal  nervule,  hardly  separate  from  the 
outer  limits  of  the  dark  base  of  the  wing.  The  darkest  part  of  the  narrow  band 
in  the  middle  of  the  outer  half  of  the  wing  has  a  regular  curve  and  strikes  the 
borders  in  the  middle  of  their  outer  halves;  there  is  a  submarginal  slender  dark 


NEORDTOPIS    SEPTJLTA.  33 

streak,  separated  by  scarcely  more  than  its  own  width  from  the  outer  border, 
becoming  narrower  toward  the  costal  and  inner  borders,  and  especially  towards 
the  costal;  it  is  broken  at  the  upper  median  nervule,  where  the  upper  portion  joins 
a  second  broader  band,  separated  by  a  space  nearly  equal  to  itself  from  the  sub- 
marginal  band ;  this  leaves  a  nearly  equal  light  band  in  the  outer  part  of  the  wing, 
broadest  above  and  reaching  from  the  costal  border,  almost  to  the  inner;  along 
the  middle  of  this  belt  is  a  series  of  six  round  dark  spots  and  ocelli,  one  in  each 
of  the  interspaces  excepting  the  costo-subcastal ;  the  largest  is  in  the  lower 
median  interspace,  and  is  a  spot  nearly  as  broad  as  the  interspace,  deepening 
toward  the  centre  to  a  black  pupil ;  the  next  largest,  in  the  upper  median  inter- 
space, is  an  ocellus  with  a  black  pupil,  immediately  followed  by  a  pale  annul  us, 
again  surrounded  by  a  dark  ring  of  equal  diameter,  the  whole  a  little  more  than 
half  the  width  of  the  interspace;  next  larger  are  two  spots  of  less  intense  depth  of 
color,  one  in  the  upper  subcostal,  the  other  in  the  subcosto-median  interspace,  about 
one-third  the  width  of  the  interspace,  the  upper  deepening,  the  lower  becoming 
paler  at  the  centre;  the  spot  in  the  lower  subcostal  and  the  medio-submedian 
interspace  are  equal  and  smallest,  about  one-fourth  the  width  of  the  interspace, 
and  consist  only  of  rather  faint,  powdery  marks,  a  little  darker  towards  their 
centres.  The  fringe  of  this  wing  seems  to  be  preserved  and  is  short,  nearly 
equal,  dark,  resembling  a  repetition  of  the  submarginal  streak. 

Length  of  fore  wing,  37mm-;  breadth  of  fore  wing,  2O5"""-;  length  of  hind 
wing,  31'75mm';  length  of  tail,  4mm';  distance  of  the  base  of  the  second  superior 
subcostal  nervule  of  hind  wing  from  the  divarication  of  the  costal  and  sub- 
costal nervules,  5'55mm';  rows  of  scales  in  the  subcostal  region  of  the  fore 
wings,  -075mm-  apart;  length  of  thorax,  5mm-;  of  hind  femora,  4-6ram-;  of  hind  tibiae 
4-8mm-;  of  hind  tarsi,  4'9mm-. 

Tertiaries  of  Aix,  Provence,  France;   collection  of  Count  de  Saporta. 


34  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 


LETHITES   SCUDDBR. 
Satyrites  Scudd.  (nee  Blanch.-Brulle),  Rev.  et  Mag.  de  Zool.,  1871-72,  GG. 

The  costal  border  of  the  fore  wing  (PL  I,  fig.  5)  is  gently  and  equably 
curved,  the  apex  moderately  acute  but  well  rounded,  the  outer  margin,  except 
at  its  extremities,  nearly  straight,  and  the  inner  border  straight  or  almost  so; 
the  outer  border  is  a  little  shorter  than  the  inner  and  about  three-fifths  the  length 
of  the  costal  margin. 

The  costal  nervule  terminates  slightly  beyond  the  middle  of  the  costal 
margin,  its  basal  two-fifths  presenting  a  considerable  and  almost  uniform  ex- 
pansion, which  tapers  rather  rapidly  at  the  tip,  and  reaches  nearly  to  the  middle 
of  the  upper  border  of  the  cell.  The  subcostal  nervule  is  very  slight  on  the 
basal  half  of  the  wing,  closely  connected  with  the  posterior  surface  of  the 
swollen  portion  of  the  costal  nervure  and  only  divaricating  from  that  vein 
after  the  latter  has  lost  its  tumidity;  it-  emits  its  first  superior  nervule  at 
slightly  more  than  three-fifths  the  distance  from  the  tip  of  the  bulbous  portion 
of  the  costal  nervure  to  the  upper  apex  of  the  cell;  its  second  at  midway 
between  the  origin  of  the  first  and  the  tip  of  the  cell;  its  third  at  midway  be- 
tween the  upper  apex  of  the  cell  and  the  origin  of  the  fourth,  which  arises  at 
about  two-fifths  the  distance  from  the  base  of  the  third  to  the  outer  border  of 
the  wing.  The  first  superior  nervule  terminates  near  the  middle  of  the  outer 
two-thirds  of  the  costal  border,  the  second  midway  between  the  apex  of  the 
first  and  third;  the  third  terminates  just  above,  and  the  fourth  at  or  scarcely 
below,  the  tip  of  the  wing.  The  first  inferior  subcostal  nervule  arises  at  a  very 
short  distance  beyond  the  base  of  the  second  superior  nervule,  and  curving 
rather  strongly,  terminates  in  the  middle  of  the  upper  half  of  the  outer  border; 
the  second  inferior  nervule  is  emitted  from  the  first  inferior  as  far  beyond  the 
base  of  the  latter  as  that  is  beyond  the  base  of  the  second  superior  nervule; 
at  its  origin  it  is  directed  inward  as  well  as  backward  (forming  the  upper  ter- 
mination of  the  cell)  and  passes  backward  in  a  small,  narrow  and  rather  strongly 
curved  bow,  bent  below  more  than  above,  beyond  which  it  assumes  a  course 


LETHITES.  35 

nearly  parallel  to  the  first  inferior  nervule;  just  beyond  the  arcuate  portion  it 
is  connected  by  a  rather  long,  straight,  oblique  nervule,  directed  considerably 
outward  as  well  as  downward,  to  the  origin  of  the  upper  median  nervule.  The 
median  nervule  is  slightly  enlarged  at  the  base,  and  diminishes  gradually  and 
regularly  in  size  to  its  first  divarication,  which  is  scarcely  beyond  the  middle  of 
the  cell ;  the  origin  of  its  middle  branch  is  slightly  nearer  the  origin  of  the  basal 
than  of  the  terminal  nervule;  the  latter  .strikes  the  middle  of  the  outer  border. 
The  submedian  nervure  is  straight  and  not  swollen  at  the  base.  The  cell  is 
three  times  as  long  as  broad,  and  scarcely  more  than  half  as  long  as  the  wing. 
The  article  from  which  the  above  is  quoted,  as  originally  written,  closes  thus: 
"The  neuration  of  the  fore  wing  does  not  seem  to  me  to  accord  sufficiently 
with  that  of  any  known  genus  of  Oreades  to  admit  of  its  being  classed  with 
them.  It  undoubtedly  has  close  affinities  with  the  characters  of  the  genus  Debis 
(=Lethe  Hiibn.)  as  laid  down  by  Westwood  and  Hewitson,  if  we  exclude  there- 
from, as  we  should,  the  Papilio  Portlandia  of  Fabricius.  It  is  not  a  little 
interesting  to  notice  that  these  authors  have  arranged  this  group  in  immediate 
proximity  to  the  genus  Cyllo  (=Melanitis  Fabr.),  in  which  Dr.  Boisduval  placed 
the  fossil  species  from  Aix,  named  by  him  sepulta.  Nor  is  it  less  interesting  to 
find  that  in  both  genera  all  the  living  representatives  (even  including  those 
discovered  since  the  publication  of  the  '  Genera  of  Diurnal  Lepidoptera')  are 
natives  of  the  East  Indies;  so  that  the  fossil  butterflies  of  Provence  have  their 
nearest  living  allies  in  the  far  East." 

Although  differing  from  Neorina  (PI.  II,  fig.  8)  very  strikingly  in  the 
form  of  the  wing  and  the  swollen  base  of  the  costal  nervure,  this  genus  has 
some  striking  points  of  agreement  with  that  in  the  neuration  of  the  fore  wing. 
The  nervure  closing  the  cell  indeed  is  straight  in  Lethites  and  strongly  curved 
in  Neorina,  but,  as  there,  two  of  the  superior  subcostal  nervules  arise  before  the 
tip  of  the  cell,  and  the  other  two  are  thrown  off  at  about  equal  distances 
between  the  apex  of  the  cell  and  of  the  wing;  the  vein  closing  the  cell  meets 
the  median  nervure  in  both  cases  as  far  beyond  its  second  divarication  as  that 
is  beyond  the  first;  the  shape  and  proportionate  length  of  the  cell  is  nearly 


36  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

the  same  in  the  two,  but  the  costal  nervure  appears  to  be  much  shorter  in 
Lethites. 

With  Lethe  (PI.  II,  fig.  6)  and  Debis  (PI.  II.  fig.  10)  the  fossil  genus  can 
better  be  compared,  as  far  as  the  form  of  the  wing,  the  dilated  costal  vein,  and 
the  position  and  direction  of  the  straight  vein  closing  the  cell  are  concerned; 
but  in  both  these  genera  only  a  single  superior  subcostal  nervule  is  emitted 
before  the  apex  of  the  cell;  the  form  of  the  cell  again  shows  rather  closer 
affinity  between  Lethites  and  these  genera,  although  the  difference  in  these  res- 
pects is  but  slight.  It  is  by  no  means  distantly  related  to  Enodia,  in  which 
two  subcostal  nervules  are  emitted  before  the  tip  of  the  cell,  but  differs  from 
it  in  the  much  greater  and  more  abrupt  swelling  of  the  costal  vein,  and  in  the 
much  greater  distance  beyond  the  second  divarication  of  the  median  nervure  at 
which  the  vein  closing  the  cell  meets  this  nervure.  It  even  exhibits  no  small  affin- 
ity to  Cercyonis,  and  especially  to  those  species  in  which  there  is  little  dilation 
of  the  median  nervure;  the  costal  nervure  is  swollen  in  precisely  the  same 
way,  and  the  superior  nervules  of  the  subcostal  nervure  are  much  the  same ;  but 
the  form  of  the  wing  is  strikingly  different,  and  the  lowest  subcostal  interspace 
much  wider  at  the  base,  in  comparison  with  the  width  of  the  base  of  the  sub- 
costo-median  interspace,  in  Cercyonis  than  in  Lethites;  and  this  seems  to  be  a 
character  of  considerable  importance.  It  may  be  noted  in  this  connection  that 
the  markings  of  the  fossil  must  have  closely  resembled  Cercyonis  Pegala. 

Its  nearest  ally  among  living  European  types  would  seem  to  be  Maniola 
Hermione,  in  which  the  costal  and  median  veins  are  about  equally  swollen.  The 
neuration  of  Lethites  agrees  with  this  genus  in  much  the  same  way  as  it  does 
with  Cercyonis,  the  comparative  width  of  the  interspaces  beyond  the  cell  being 
very  different  in  the  living  genera  from  what  it  is  in  the  fossil.  In  the  form 
of  the  wing  Maniola  agrees  much  better  with  Lethites  than  Cercyonis  does,  but 
the  costa  is  much  more  arched,  and  the  cell  is  much  the  longer  in  Maniola;  were 
there  no  obscure  spot  in  the  lower  median  interspace  in  the  male  of  M.  Hermione, 
the  markings  of  the  fossil  would  agree  with  it  almost  perfectly. 


LETHITES   REYNESII.  37 


LETIIITES  REYNESII  SCUDDER. 
Plate  I,  figs.  2,  5. 

Satyrites  Heynesil  SCUDD.,  Rev.  ct.  Mag.  de  Zool.,  1871-72,  GC-72,  pi.  vii  (1872);  IB.,  Doscr.  Pap.  Foss. 
1-7,  pi.  (1872);  IB.,  Geol.  Mag.  ix,  532-33,  pi.  xiii,  flgs.  2,  3  (1872);  IB.,  Descr.  Foss.  Butt.  1-2,  pi., 
figs.  2,  3  (1872) ;  BuoD.,  Distr.  Corr.  Foss.  Ins.  [SatyriCes  lieynesii],  8-9  (1873). 

I   give   below   the   original  of   the   first   paper   cited   above,   excepting   the 
portion  which  was  quoted  under  the  genus. 

In  a  recent  examination  of  the  rich  collection  of  fossil  insects  from  Aix, 
preserved  in  the  Museum  of  the  city  of  Marseilles,  my  attention  was  attracted 
by  two  little  slabs  containing  the  traces  of  a  fossil  butterfly.  Although  by  no 
means  so  well  preserved,  nor  so  perfect  as  the  remains  of  a  butterfly  from  the 
same  beds,  described  by  Dr.  Boisduval  more  than  thirty  years  ago,  a  glance 
showed  that  it  could  not  be  referred  to  that  species,  since  the  costal  nervure 
of  the  fore  wings  was  greatly  swollen.  No  such  form  having  to  my  knowl- 
edge been  described  from  these  beds,  Dr.  Reynes,  the  accomplished  director  of 
the  establishment,  courteously  placed  the  best  specimen  in  my  hands  for  closer 
study;  and  from  it  the  following  account  and  illustrations  have  been  drawn. 
The  second  specimen  is  very  imperfectly  preserved,  but  since  it  exhibits  in  all 
its  features  an  exact  resemblance  to  similar  parts  in  the  better  specimen  it  un- 
doubtedly belongs  to  the  same  species. 

The  fossil  (PI.  I,  fig.  2)  is  a  natural  cast  of  a  butterfly  lying  upon  its 
side,  the  wings  folded  back  to  back,  the  legs  extended  as  if  hanging,  the 
tongue  uncurled  and,  with  the  antenna?,  drooping  in  a  direction  similar  to  that 
of  the  legs.  The  right  fore  wing,  which  lies  beneath,  is  pushed  a  little  outward 
and  also  forward,  even  at  its  base,  showing  that  the  specimen  must  have  been 
greatly  macerated  in  very  quiet  water,  before  being  covered  by  the  deposits 
which  have  preserved  its  more  essential  features.  The  condition  and  position 
of  all  the  parts  also  lead  us  to  conjecture  that  it  was  swept  into  its  final  rest- 
ing place  by  a  gentle  current,  which  left  the  slighter  appendages  lying  in  the 
direction  of  its  final  action. 

It  is  evident  that  the  object  is  a  cast,  for  the  veins  of  the  wing  which  lie 

MEMOIRS   A.    A.    A.    8.  7 


38  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

uppermost  on  the  stone  are  impressed  as  we  see  them  on  the  upper  surface 
of  the  wings  of  living  Oreades,  while  those  of  the  wing  lying  beneath  (veins 
which  are  plainly  covered  by  the  impressed  nervures  where  the  two  come  in 
contact)  are  in  relief,  as  seen  on  the  under  surface  of  the  same  butterflies; 
that  is,  we  have  here  the  reverse  of  what  would  be  the  case,  were  we  exam- 
ining a  living  butterfly  in  this  position. 

The  parts  before  us  are :  a  poorly  preserved  body,  vague  indications  of 
the  terminal  palpal  joint,  an  antenna  (probably  a  portion  only),  an  unrolled 
tongue,  the  hinder  pair  of  legs  and  portions  of  the  other  pairs,  the  greater 
part  of  the  two  front  wings  and  fragments  of  the  base  of  the  hind  wings.  Of 
the  latter,  no  border  remains  and  only  the  base  of  a  few  of  the  nervules, 
which  give  scarcely  any  additional  information  as  to  the  pterology  of  the  insect. 
The  only  portion  of  the  margin  of  the  front  wings  which  can  be  determined 
with  certainty  is  the  most  essential  part,  the  apex  and  the  upper  half  of  the 
outer  border  of  the  left  wing,  enough  to  show  that  its  general  contour  was 
similar  to  that  of  the  European  Satyrids  of  the  present  epoch;  but  throughout 
the  remainder  all  the  nervules  can  be  exactly  traced.  This  being  then  the  best  pre- 
served portion  of  the  insect,  we  will  consider  its  structure  in  detail,  subsequently 
adding  whatever  can  be  gleaned  from  the  examination  of  the  other  parts.1  [The 
account  of  the  structural  framework  of  the  wing  is  given  under  the  genus]. 

The  basal  two-thirds  of  the  wing  appears  to  have  been  more  darkly  clouded 
than  the  other  portions,  although  in  this  fuscous  area  there  is  apparently  a 
clearer  space  towards  the  upper,  outer  portion  of  the  cell.  There  is  also  a 
distinct,  darker,  uniform  and  equal  rounded  spot  in  the  middle  of  the  outer 
two-thirds  of  the  lowest  subcostal  interspace,  nearly  reaching  the  nervule  on 
either  side ;  in  the  specimen  it  appears  to  be  broader  than  long  by  encroaching 
upon  the  next  interspace  in  front,  but  this  is  evidently  only  apparent,  the  spots 
of  the  two  wings  (one  of  which  I  have  stated  to  be  a  little  in  advance  of 

1  It  should  flrst  1)6  premised  that  throughout  this  descrip-  where  the  extremities  of  the  costal   and   the    first   two    upper 

tlon  the  fore  wing  will  be  spoken  of  as  if  it  were  perfect;  for  so  brunches  of  the  subcostal  nervnres  strike  it.     For  those,  thcre- 

completely  are  the  essential  parts  preserved  that  one  may  feel  a  fore,  who  would  follow  the  description  with  a  severely  critical 

strong  degree  of  confidence  as  to  the  character  of  the  remainder;  eye,  the  illustrations  we  have  given  will  correct  any  apparent 

scarcely  any  of  the  costal  margin  can  be  traced  on  the  stone,  and  overstatement  of  the  text, 
yet  one  may  describe  with  nearly  absolute  certainty  the  point 


LETHITES   REYNESII.  39 

the  other)  being  blended.  The  object  is  so  well  preserved  that  one  can  see 
throughout  the  parallel  series  of  minute  punctures  forming  the  points  of  inser- 
tion for  the  scales,  outlines  of  the  latter  of  which  I  have  failed  to  discover. 
The  wing  is  28-5"1"1  long,  the  tip  of  the  cell  being  distant  15mm  from  the  base 
of  the  wing;  the  costal  nervure  is  inflated  for  a  distance  of  6'5mm-,  and  the 
extreme  width  of  this  portion  is  llnm-;  the  rows  of  punctures  indicating  the 
former  insertion  of  the  scales  are  -12mni-  apart. 

Of  the  body  itself  nothing  can  be  predicated,  unless  it  be  that  the  form  of 
the  abdomen  and  the  appearance  of  its  tip  lead  us  to  conjecture  that  the  speci- 
men was  a  female  which  had  deposited  most  of  her  eggs,  or  in  which  they 
were  but  partially  developed. 

At  the  anterior  upper  extremity  of  the  head  is  a  dark  prominence  which 
seems  to  be  the  terminal  joint  of  a  palpus;  it  extends  •'J5mm'  beyond  the  head 
and  is  of  a  nearly  uniform  width  (•2mm-),  scarcely  tapering,  with  a  rounded 
tip.  The  basal  portion  of  an  antenna,  5mm-  long,  is  slender  and  apparently  be- 
gins to  increase  slightly  and  very  gradually  in  size,  as  in  the  genus  (Eneis 
Hubn.  A  finely  impressed  line,  7-25mm-  long,  appears  to  be  the  unrolled,  though 
slightly  curved  tongue. 

One  of  the  hind  femora  projects  2'5mm'  beyond  the  body;  its  tibia  and  tarsi 
are  stretched  in  a  single  line,  at  an  angle  with  it,  but  as  the  tip  of  what  is  ap- 
parently the  other  hind  femur  strikes  them  beyond  the  tip  of  their  own  femur, 
it  is  impossible  to  say  whether  they  do  not  overlap,  or  are  not  overlaid  by,  the 
tibia  and  tarsi  of  the  opposite  side;  their  united  length  on  the  stone  is  5-6mm-; 
but  if  both  hind  pairs  are  present,  their  probable  length  is  4'5mm-.  There  are 
also  some  remnants  of  the  other  legs,  but  in  so  fragmentary  and  confused  a 
state  that  nothing  can  be  determined  from  them,  nor  anything  surmised  of  the 
length  or  structure  of  the  front  pair. 

In  the  illustration  of  the  fore  wing  given  in  the  Revue  et  Magazin  de 
Zoologie  (fig.  B),  and  copied  in  the  Geological  Magazine  (fig.  3),  the  artist 
neglected  to  mark  the  position  of  the  spot  npon  the  wing.  This  is  given  in 


40  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

our  PI.  I,  fig.  5,  which,  as  well  as  fig.  2,  is   taken  from  the  originals  of  my 
former  plate. 

Tertiaries  of  Aix,  Provence,  France;  Museum  of  the  city  of  Marseilles. 


MTTMPHALES  —  NAJADES  —  PR.2EFECTI. 
ETJGONIA  HUBMEII. 

Fore  wings  considerably  more  than  half  as  long  again  as  broad,  the  costal 
border  scarcely  bent  at  a  little  distance  from  the  base,  beyond  that  nearly 
straight  to  an  equal  distance  from  the  tip,  where  it  becomes  more  curved; 
outer  border  with  the  portion  above  the  middle  of  the  lower  subcostal  interspace 
very  slightly  concave,  having  a  general  direction  at  a  very  little  less  than  a 
right  angle  with  the  central  portion  of  the  costal  border,  beyond  suddenly  reced- 
ing at  a  little  more  than  a  right  angle  to  the  middle  of  the  subcosto-median  inter- 
space, and  continuing  in  a  deep  crenulate  curve  to  just  below  the  lower  median 
nervure,  where  a  prominent  rounded  tooth  is  found,  and  below  which  the  border 
is  excised,  its  angle  rounded  off;  inner  border  very  nearly  straight,  scarcely 
convex  on  the  basal  two-thirds.  First  superior  subcostal  nervule  emitted  a  little 
beyond  the  middle  of  the  outer  two-thirds  of  the  upper  margin  of  the  cell;  the 
second  a  little  more  than  half  way  from  the  origin  of  the  first  to  the  tip  of  the 
cell;  the  third  midway  between  the  tip  of  the  cell  and  the  origin  of  the  fourth; 
the  latter  at  three-fifths  the  distance  from  the  tip  of  the  cell  to  the  apex  of  the 
wing;  second  inferior  subcostal  nervule  arising  scarcely  one-third  way  down  the 
cell;  the  cell  considerably  less  than  half  as  long  as  the  wing,  and  three  times 
as  long  as  broad;  middle  of  the  basal  curve  of  the  last  median  nervule  connected 
with  the  vein  closing  the  cell. 

The  butterflies  of  this  genus,  which  are  generally  above  the  average  size, 
strongly  resemble  those  of  the  genus  Polygonia,  in  the  form,  color  and  design 
of  the  wings,  but  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  fore  wings  the  costal  markings 
are  much  heavier. 

The  above  characters  are  wholly  drawn  from  recent  species  of  the  genus. 


EUGONIA   ATAVA.  41 


EUGONIA  ATAVA  (CHARPENTIER)  SCUDDKH. 
Plate  I,  flg.  1,  3,  7. 

Sphinx  atava  CHARP.,  Acta  Acad.  Leop.-Carol.,  xx,  408-9,  Tab.  22,  flg.  I  (1843). 

Vanessa  attavina  HEKR,  Insekt.  Tcrt.  (Etring.,  ii,  177-79,  Taf.  14,  flg.  3  (1849) ;  IB.,  Nouv.  Mem.  Soc.  Ilelv., 
xi,  177-79,  Tab.  14,  flg.  3  (1850);  GIKB.,  Deutsclil.  Petrcf.,  644  (1862);  IB.,  Fauu.  der  Vorw.,  ii,  186 
(1856). 

Vanessa?  atovina  KIUB.,  Syn.  Cat.  Diiirn.  Lep.,  185  (1872). 
Nymphalis?  atovina  KIRB.,  Syn.  Cat.  Diurn.  Lep.,  648  (1872). 

This  was  the  second  fossil  butterfly  known  previously  to  the  publication 
of  Heer's  Tertiary  insects.  It  was  first  described  by  Charpentier  as  a  Sphinx, 
in  the  following  terms: 


.  i 


Ungemein  interessant,  und  ich  mochte  sagen,  ein  Unicum  1st  der  hi  oben 
bemerkter  Figur  abgebildetc  Schmetterlingsflugel.  Dass  es  ein  solcher  sei, 
zeigt  sogleich  der  erste  Anblick,  so  wie  sich  bei  naherer  Ansicht  herausstellt, 
dass  es  unbezweifelt  der  Oberflugel  einer  Sphinx  Art  sei.  Er  ist  in  seiner 
Form  nicht  gut  gehalten,  sondern  vorn  etwas  eingerissen,  seine  Zeichung  ist 
aber  bewundernswerth  erhalten,  und  erinnert  sehr  an  den  fast  im  ganzen  mit- 
tleren  und  nordlichen  Europa  vorkommenden  Sphinx  Tilice,  doch  ist  er  wohl 
specifisch  von  demselben  verschieden.  Die  drei  grossen  dunklen  Flecke,  die 
sich  von  aussersten  Vorderrande,  fast  bindenartig,  uber  einen  grossen  Theil  des 
Fliigels  ziehen,  sind  unstreitig  die  Reste  ehemaliger  Zeichung  und  Farbung  des 
lebenden  Thieres. 

The  remainder  of  his  remarks  apply  only  to  the  rarity  of  fossil  remains  of 
Lepidoptera.  The  illustration  was  very  poor  and  is  reproduced  on  PI.  I,  fig.  3. 
The  next  notice  of  it  is  by  Heer,  who  also  examined  the  original  type,  refigured 
[see  PI.  I,  figs.  1,  7]  and  redescribed  it  in  the  following  manner,  referring  it 
to  the  genus  Vanessa,  and  changing  slightly  the  specific  name:2 

Alis  anterioribus  lividis,  basi,  fasciis  maculisque  nigris.     Long  16|  Lin. 

Radoboj.     Ein  Oberflugel,  dessen  Innenrand  aber  nicht  erhalten  ist. 

Charpentier  hat  diesen  Fliigel  einem  Sphinx  zugesprochen  und  ihn  mit  dem 
Sphinx  Tilite  L.  verglichen;  allein  schon  die  ziemlich  stark  gebogene  Randlinie 
(vena  marginalis)  spricht  gegen  Sphinx,  bei  welcher  G-attung  sie  bis  fiber  zwei 
Drittel  Fltigellange  fast  gerade  verlauft  und  dann  erst  gegen  die  Spitze  sich 
zubiegt;  cbenso  aber  auch  das  Geader.  Bei  Sphinx  haben  wir  namlich  ein 

'  Acta  Acad.  Leop.-Carol.,  xx,  408.  J  Insekt.  Tcrt.  CEning.  ii,  177-79. 


42  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

geschlossenes  Mittelfeld  und  der  Ast  der  vena  externo-media,  wclchor  neben  der 
Fliigelspitze  auslanft,  veriistelt  sich  nicht.  In  der  Form  des  Flugels,  im  Geader 
und  Farburg  stimmt  unser  Schmetterlingsflugel,  wie  mir  scheint,  am  besten  mit 
der  Gattung  Vanessa  F.  uberein.  Wir  bemerken  nemlich,  gerade  wie  bie  den 
Vanessen,  zunachst  eine  starke  vena  seapularis,  welche  weit  vorn  in  die  v. 
marginalis  auslauft;  eine  schwachere  vena  externo-media,  welche  noch  niiher  der 
Fliigelspitze  mit  dem  Rande  sicb  verbindet;  diese  bildet  nach  Innen  zunachst 
einen  Ast1,  der  fliigelspitzwarts  in  zwei  weitere  Aeste  sich  spaltet;  der 
aussere  von  diesen  liiuf't  zur  Fh'igelspitze,  der  innere  aber  trennt  sich  nochmals 
in  zwei  Gabelaste,  welche  zum  Hinterrande  verlaufen  und  von  denen  jeder  in 
einen  schwachen,  stumpfen  Zahn  des  Flugelrandes  ausgeht.  Auf  diesen  Gabel- 
ast  folgen  weiter  nach  Innen  zwei  Langsadern,  welche  am  Grunde  sich  wahr- 
scheinlich  verbinden,  und  in  die  vena  externo-media  eingefugt  sind.  Diese  bei- 
den  Adern  (es  sind  diess  die  fiinfte  und  sechste  Ader  von  Herrich  Schaeifer) 
gehen  bei  [178]  den  Vanessen  getrennt  bis  zur  v.  externo-media  hinauf  und 
divergiren  gleich,  wie  sie  aus  dieser  heraustreten ;  wahrscheinlich  ist  diess  beim 
fossilen  Thiere  auch  der  Fall,  jedoch  sieht  man  nur  die  Einnmndung  des  aus- 
seren  Astes  in  die  vena  externo-media,  indem  der  innere  am  Grunde  gan/ 
verwischt  ist,  wie  denn  iiberhaupt  die  Adern  in  Folge  des  starken  Druckes,  dem 
der  Flugel  unterworfen  war,  iiusserst  schwach  hervortreten  und  nur  mit  Muhe 
zu  erkennen  sind.  Die  vena  interno-media  verlauft  wie  bei  den  Vanessen,  sie 
sendet  namlich  nach  dem  Hinterrande  zwei  Aeste  aus,  so  dass  im  Ganzen  drei 
Langsadern  zuletzt  in  parallelen  Linien  nach  dem  Rande  verlaufen.  Die  vena 
analis  ist  nur  am  Grunde  angedeutet,  indem  der  Innenrand  grosscntheils  zer- 
stort  ist.  Das  Mittelfeld  ist  offen,  wenigstens  ist  keine  Spur  eines  Verbin- 
dungsastes  zwischen  v.  externo-  und  interno-media  zu  finden.  In  alien  diesen 
Punkten  stimmt  also  das  fossile  Thier  mit  den  Vanessen  iiberein.  Ebenso 
Btimmt  ferner  der  zackige  Hinterrand,  indem  wir,  wie  schon  bemcrkt,  an  der 
Ausmundung  des  ausseren  Gabelastes  der  v.  externo-media  kleine  Zacken  be- 
merken, wobei  freilich  zu  bedauern,  dass  von  dort  an  der  Flugel  zerrissen  ist, 
so  dass  die  Randbildung  nur  an  jene  kleinen  Stelle  bestimmt  werden  kann. 
In  der  Farburg  zeigt  der  Flugel  viel  Uebereinstimmendes  mit  dcmjenigen 
der  Vanessa  Cardui  L.  Wir  bemerken  nemlich  zunachst  dem  Grunde  eine  dunk- 
lere  Stelle,  welche  fast  bis  zu  J  Flugellange  hinausreicht ;  dieser  dunklere  Flii- 
gelgrund  ist  indessen  wieder  in  der  Mitte  durch  einige  unregelmassige  hellere 
Stellen  unterbrochen.  Auf  diese  dunkle  Stelle  folgt  em  helles  Querband  von 
If  Linien  Breite,  welches  aber  nicht  bis  znm  Innenrande  reicht,  weingstens  ist 
an  der  Stelle,  wo  die  v.  interno-media  den  ersten  Ast  aussendet,  wieder  ein, 
freilich  sehr  undeutlich  umgrenzter,  dunkler  Fleck;  auf  dieses  helle  Querband 

1  Wahrscheinlich  i.*t  ausper  dicsem  noch  ein  Ast  fla.  der  aber  verwi=o!it  ist. 


EUGONIA   ATAVA.  43 

folgt  wieder  ein  3  Linien  breites  dunkles  Querband,  welches  mit  mittleren 
schwarzen  Querband  der  V.  cardui  entspricht;  bemerkenswerth  1st,  dass  dieses 
bei  der  V.  attavina  von  der  Nahtseite  her  ebenfalls  durch  einen  helleren  Flecken 
gctheilt  wird,  welcher  helle  Flecken  nicht  bis  zum  Aussenrand  hinausreicht.  Auf 
dieses  dunkle  Querband  folgt  wieder  ein  belles  Band  von  1|  Lin.  Breite,  und 
darauf  wieder  ein  dunkler,  3^  Lin.  breiter  Flecken,  der  aber  sehr  kurz  ist,  in- 
dem  welter  nach  Innen  an  jener  Stelle  der  Fliigel  wieder  hellgelb  braun  ge- 
farbt  ist;  auf  diesen  dunklen  Flecken  folgt  wieder  eiu  kleiner  heller  Flecken; 
welter  flugelspitzwarts  ist  der  Fliigel  dunkelbraun  gefarbt,  welche  Farbe  all- 
mahlig  heller  wird,  so  dass  der  Flugelraud  wieder  hellbraun  wird;  die  Zacken- 
spitzen  dagegen  sind  schwarz. 

In  der  Farbung  des  Oberfliigels  stimmt  also  der  fossile  Schmetterling  am 
meisten  mit  Vanessa  Cardui  L.  uberein,  dennoch  kann  er  nicht  als  analoge  Art 
betrachtet  werden,  denn  fiirs  erste  war  er  betrachtlich  grosser  [179],  furs  zweite 
ist  die  Randader  starker  gebogen,  ^eigt  eine  regelmassige  Bogenlinie,  wah- 
rcnd  sie  bei  Vanessa  Cardui  in  mehr  gerader  Linie  verlauft." 

The  only  subsequent  notice  of  this  insect,  not  directly  copied  or  abbre- 
viated from  the  above  is  by  Butler,  who  remarks1;  "I  think  it  just  possible, 
from  the  great  resemblance  which  V.  Attavina  of  Heer  bears  to  the  under 
surface  of  J.  [unonia]  Hedonia,  that  it  is  the  reverse  of  J.  Pluto." 

I  have  been  unable  to  see  this  fossil,  or  even  to  find  out  where  it  is  pre- 
served. Charpentier  states  that  he  received  it  for  description  from  Dr.  linger 
through  Professor  Goppert  of  Breslau.  Heer  makes  no  mention  of  the  quarter 
whence  he  received  it.  He  IT  Brunner  von  Wattenwyl  searched  for  it  in  vain  in 
the  Vienna  Museums. 

All  that  can  be  said,  therefore,  must  be  drawn  from  the  illustrations  and  re- 
marks of  Professor  Heer.  These  seem  to  me  to  leave  no  doubt  that  the  insect 
must  be  placed  in  Eugonia,  and  that  it  was  a  little  larger  than  the  European 
van-album  or  our  own  j-album.  A  comparison  of  the  neuration  of  Eugonia 
j-album  (PI.  I,  fig.  4)  with  that  of  Heer's  figures  of  the  fossil  (reproduced  on  PI. 
I,  figs.  1,  7)  shows  that  the  last  divarication  of  the  subcostal  nervure  of  the  fore 
wing,  and  the  points  of  termination  of  the  last  two  superior  nervules  and  of  the 
subcostal  nervure  itself  are  essentially  the  same  in  both;  while  the  position  of 
all  the  markings  on  the  fossil,  allowing  for  its  natural  defects,  are  quite  the 

>Lep.  Exot.  I.  I-1* 


44  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

same  in  position,  direction  and  intensity,  as  in  .E.  j-album  (PL  I,  fig.  6).  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  form  of  the  wing,  as  far  as  it  can  be  seen,  but  as  this 
is  true  only  of  the  costal  margin,  and  the  merest  fragment  of  the  outer  border, 
it  cannot  be  considered  to  have  much  weight  in  itself;  still,  taken  in  connec- 
tion with  all  the  other  features,  which  agree  almost  wholly  with  those  of  Eugonia, 
and  but  partially  with  its  near  ally  Vanessa,  to  which  Heer  compares  it,  we  must 
refer  the  fossil  to  Eugonia,  at  least  until  a  new  examination  of  the  fossil  shall  give 
us  further  facts  as  a  basis  for  an  opinion.  This  is  the  position  dubiously  assigned 
to  it  by  Kirby,  in  his  Synonymic  Catalogue. 
Tertiaries  of  Eadoboj,  Croatia. 

PAPILIONID.2E-DANAI-FUGACIA. 
MYLOTHRITES   SCUDDER. 

Of  the  form  of  the  fore  wing  (PI.  II,  figs.  7,  17)  we  can  say  but  little,  from 
the  imperfect  nature  of  the  fossil;  the  costal  margin,  however,  is  very  regularly 
and  rather  strongly  arched,  and  the  direction  of  the  middle  portion  of  the  outer 
border  (probably  at  a  right  angle,  or  at  a  little  less  than  a  right  angle,  with  the 
apical  portion  of  the  costal  margin,  and  but  slightly  convex)  leads  us  to  presume 
that  the  apex  was  rather  pointed,  though  not  falciform. 

The  neuration  of  the  same  wing  (PI.  II,  fig.  7)  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
Mylothris.1  The  costal  nervure  terminates  at  about  five-sevenths  the  distance 
from  the  base  of  the  costal  margin  to  its  tip;  the  subcostal  nervure  emits  two 
branches  before  the  cell,  the  second  probably  close  to  the  apex  of  the  cell,  the 
limits  of  which  are  not  given  in  the  drawing  prepared  for  me,  but  which  could 
probably  be  made  out  by  a  sufficiently  careful  examination  of  the  original;  a  third 
superior  nervule  is  emitted  from  the  subcostal  nervure  at  less  than  half  the  dis- 
tance from  the  origin  of  the  second  to  the  outer  border,  and  the  emission  of  the 
inferior  nervule,  if  it  could  be  traced,  would  mark  the  termination  of  the  cell;  the 
median  nervure  is  of  course  three-branched  and  scarcely  curves  upward  at  all 
to  meet  the  subcostal. 

i  Compare,  in  this  respeo.t,  Butler's  Revision  of  the  Pierinae,  Cist.  Ent.,  I,  ili,  pi.  i,  flg.  8;  or  Trimen,  Uhop.  Afr.  Austr.,  PI.  ii,  fig.  2. 


MYLOTHRITES    PLUTO.  45 

The  design  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  fore  wing  (PI.  II,  fig.  17)  is  simple, 
consisting  only  of  a  broad  marginal  pale  band  on  a  dark  ground,  enclosing  small 
dark  spots  in  the  middle  of  the  interspaces. 

This  fossil  was  placed  by  Heer  among  the  iNTymphales,  and  referred,  like  the 
preceding,  to  Yanessa.  Heer  lays  stress  on  the  non-closure  of  the  cell,  but  it 
appears  questionable  whether  this  is  not  simply  the  result  of  the  defective  preser- 
vation of  the  fossil.  Edwards  has  since  referred  it  to  Argynnis,  on  account  of 
the  general  aspect  of  its  markings,  and  Butler,  on  the  same  ground,  to  Junonia. 
But  the  new  drawing  of  the  fossil  obtained  for  me  through  the  kindness  of  my 
friend  Herr  Brunner  von  Wattenwyl,  and  by  him  carefully  compared  with  the  orig- 
inal, leave  little  doubt  that  it  is  a  Pierid,  and  belongs  in  the  neighborhood  of  such 
genera  as  Mylothris  and  Hebomoia.  The  latter  genus  it  closely  resembles  in 
the  form  of  the  wings.  Further  comparisons  are  presented  under  the  species. 


MYLOTHRITES  PLUTO  (HEEU)  SCUDDER. 
Plate  II,  figs.  2,  7,  17  (15  P). 

Vanessa  Pluto  HKKH,  Insekt.  Tert.  O3ning.,  ii,  179-82,  Taf.  14,  fig.  4,  5  (?)  (1849);  In.,  Nouv.  Mem.  Soc. 
Helv.,  xi,  179-82,  Tab.  14,  figs.  4,  5  (?)  (1850);  GIKB.,  Deutschl.  Petref.  644  (1852);  IB.,  Faun,  der 
Vorvv.,  186-7  (1856) ;  PICT.,  Traite  de  Palsoout.,  ii,  393,  pi.  40,  flg.  21  (1854)  ;  LYELL,  Elem.  Geol.,  6th 
Ed.,  243,  flg.  179  (1865). 

Argynnis  Pluto  Euvv.,  Butt.  N.  Amer.,  i,  Argynnis  I,  flg.  (1868);  KIRB.,  Syn.  Cat.  Diurn.  Lep.,  155  (1871). 

Junonia?  Pluto  BUTL.,  Lep.  Exot.,  127-28,  pi.  48,  flg.  7  (1873)  ;  IB.,  Geol.  Mag.,  x,  3-4,  pi.  1,  flg.  7  (1873). 

Heer's  description  of  this  insect  is  as  follows:1 — 

Alls  griseo-nigris,  anterioribus  margine  posteriore  ocellis  sex  pallidis. 

Liinge  des  Yorderflugels  wahrscheinlich  15  Lin;  er  ist  erhalteii  bis  zu  14| 
Lin;  grosste  Breite  8-f  Lin. 

Radoboj.  Ein  ausgezeichnet  schones  Exemplar  in  dem  k.  k.  Hofkabinet  zu 
Wien;  leider  fehlt  aber  der  Kopf,  der  Hinterleib,  der  grosste  Theil  der  Hinter- 
fliigel  und  die  Spitze  der  Yorderflugel  [PI.  II,  fig.  2]. 

Der  Brustkasten  ist  langlich  oval,  in  der  Mitte  zwei  Linien  dick,  an  der 
Oberseite  von  ein  paar  Streifen  durchzogen.  Der  Oberflugel  ist  am  Grunde 
schmal,  nach  dem  Hinterrande  bin  aber  stark  verbreitert  und  erreicht  daselbst 
seine  grosste  Breite.  Die  Aussenrandlinic  (v.  marginalis)  ist  sehr  stark  gebogen, 
und  zwar  bildet  sie  vom  Grunde  zur  Spitze  eine  regelmassige,  starke  Bogenlinie. 

1  Insekt.  Tert.  <Euln£.,  II,  179-8-2. 
MEMOIRS   A.    A.    A.    S.  8 


46  FOSSIL,    BUTTERFLIES. 

Die  Sclmlterader  ist  am  Grunde  stark  f  Lin.  vom  Rande  abstehcnd  und  lauft  aus- 
serhalb  der  Flugelmitte  in  denselben;  die  vena  externo-media  ist  ihr  sehr  genahert 
und  nur  mit  Miihe  zu  unterscheiden,  sie  miindet  noch  miher  fliigelspitzwarts  in 
die  Randader.  Sie  sendet  zunachst  einen  cinfachen  Ast  ab,  der  mit  dem  Ilaupt- 
stamm  parallel  lauft,  ihm  sehr  genahert  ist  und  noch  miner  der  Fliigelspitze  in 
die  Randader  miindet;  -der  zweite  Ast  spaltet  sich  bald  wieder  in  zwei  Aeste,  von 
denen  der  aussere  vor  der  Fliigelspitze  in  die  Randader  auslauft,  der  innere  theilt 
sich  nochmals  in  zwci  Gabelaste,  welche  ohne  Zweifel  innerhalb  der  Fliigelspitze 
ausmiinden;  ganz  nahe,  wo  der  zweite  Hauptast  der  vena  externo-media  ent- 
springt,  lauft  der  dritte  aus,  der  einfach  und  nach  dem  Hinterrande  geht;  auf 
diesen  folgt  ein  vierter  Ast,  dessen  Insertion  aber  nicht  zu  sehen ;  es  scheint,  dass 
er  auf  der  Flugelflache  entspringe. —  Die  vena  interno-media  ist  ebenfalls  stark 
ausgesprochen ;  sie  sendet  nach  Innen  zwei  starke,  aber  einfach  blcibende  Aeste 
aus,  so  dass  sie  im  Ganzen  in  drei  parallelen  Adern  in  den  Ilinterrand  einmiindet. 
Das  Mittelfeld  ist  verhaltnissmassig  ziemlich  kleiu  und  nicht  geschlossen,  indem 
kein  Querast  die  beiden  Mitteladern  verbindet.  Die  vena  analis  ist  einfach  und 
lauft  nahe  dem  Nahtrande  herunter.  In  den  Feldern  zwischen  je  zwei  Langsrip- 
pen  sieht  man  eine  schwache  Liingslinie,  welche  vom  Fliigelrande  dis  zum  Augen- 
punkt  lauft;  sie  stellt  eine  schwache  Furche  oder  Falte  dar,  die  dort  im  Fliigel 
sich  befunden  hat.  Der  Ilinterrand  ist  leider  nicht  ganz  erhalten,  namentlich  fehlt 
die  Fltigelspitze,  de-  [180]  ren  Form  zur  Bestimmung  der  Gattung  so  wichtig 
ware;  es  ist  daher  nicht  zu  ermitteln,  ob  diese  ganzrandig  oder  gezacht  war. 
Der  Ilinterrand  verlauft  in  einer  schwachen  Wellenlinie,  indem  ganz  schwache, 
stumpfe  Kerbzahne  an  der  Ausmiindung  der  Langsadern  liegen. 

Die  Farbe  des  Fliigels  ist  ein  dunkles  Graubraun ;  am  Grunde  und  im  Rand- 
felde  ist  er  dunkler,  welche  dunklere  Parthie  aber  allmahlig  in  die  hellere  verlauft; 
gegen  die  Augenflecken  zu  wird  die  Farbe  wieder  dunkler;  langs  des  Randes 
bemerken  wir  eine  Reihe  (nemlich  6)  von  runden,  hellen  Flecken  und  zwar  liegt  je 
zwischen  zwei  Langsadern  ein  solcher  Fleck,  welcher  das  ganze  Feld  zwischen  den 
Adern  ausfiillt.  Es  reicht  dieser  helle  Fleck  nicht  bis  zum  Fliigelrande,  welcher 
wieder  dunkler  graubraun  gefarbt  ist.  In  der  Mitte  jedes  Fleckens  legt  ein 
schwarzer,  runder  Punkt;  ob  dieser  noch  einen  weissen  Augenpunkt  besessen  habc 
oder  nicht,  ist  nicht  mit  Sicherheit  zu  ermitteln,  doch  ist  es  wahrscheinlieh,  indem 
wenigstens  bei  zwei  dieser  Punkte  in  der  Mitte  eine  kleine,  hellere  Stelle  wahr- 
zunehmen  ist.  Diese  hellen  Augenflecken  scheinen  von  keinem  schwarzen  Ring 
eingefasst  zu  sein. 

Yon  den  Unterfliigeln  ist  nur  der  Grand  erhalten.  "VVir  sehen  da  die,  bald  in 
zwei  Gabelaste  sich  spaltende,  vena  analis  und  die  beiden  am  Grunde  ganz  genah- 
erten  Mitteladern.  Die  Fiirburg  dieses  Fliigeltheils  ist  gleich  wie  am  Oberfltigel, 
und  zwar  nach  dem  Grunde  zu  auch  dunkler  werdend. 


MYLOTIIRITES    PLUTO.  47 

Die  Bestimmung  dcr  Gattung,  zu  welchem  unser  Thicr  gchort,  wird  sehr 
dadurch  erschwert,  dass  der  Hinterrand  nicht  ganz  erhalten  1st.  Nach  [181]  der 
allgemeinen  Form  und  dem  (reader  der  Fliigel  muss  er  wohl  zu  den  Nymphaliden 
gehoren.  Bei  den  Papilionen,  Pieriden,  Danaiden  und  Satyriden  ist  die  Mittel- 
zelle der  Flugel  durch  einen  stavken  Verbindungsast  der  vena  externo-  und  interno- 
media  geschlossen,  wogegen  beim  fossilen  Thiere  die  Mittelzelle  des  Oberflugels, 
und  vielleicht  auch  die  des  Unterfliigels,  geoffnet  ist,  wie  diess  bei  vielen  Nympha- 
liden  vorkommt.  Von  den  Pieriden  unterscheidet  er  sich  iiberdiess  durch  die  Art 
der  Variistelung  der  v.  externo-media,  indem  (um  mich  der  Terminologie  von 
llcrrich  Schaffer  zu  bedienen)  die  7te  und  9te  Rippe,  vom  Nahtrande  an  gerechnet, 
aus  der  sechsten  entspringen,  und  die  achte  aus  der  siebenten,  wahrend  beim 
fossilen  Thiere  die  8te  und  9te  Rippe,  wie  bei  den  Nymphaliden,  aus  der  7ten 
entspringen.  So  weist  also  das  Geilder  auf  einen  Nymphaliden.  Unter  diesen 
kommen  ein  paar  Gattungcn  vor  (nemlich  Apatura  und  Melitaea)  mit  offener 
Mittelzelle  der  Hinterfliigel ;  allein  bei  diesen  finden  sich  keine  Arten  mit  Augen- 
flecken,  wogegen  unter  den  Vanessen  eine  Art  vorkommt,  welche  in  der  Flecken- 
bildung  eine  auffallende  Aehnlichkeit  mit  dem  fossilen  Thiere  hat.  Zwar  ist  bei 
Vanessa  die  Mittelzelle  der  Hinterfliigel  geschlossen,  aber  durch  einen  so  zarten, 
feinen  Querast,  dass  dieser  sich  leicht  verwischen  konnte.  Jene  dem  fossilen  Thiere 
nahe  verwandte  Art  der  Lebenwelt  ist  die  Vanessa  Hedonia  L.  F.  Cramer  de  Uet- 
laiidsche  Kapellen  T.  II,  Taf.  69,  C.  D.  und  T.  VIII,  Taf.  374,  B.  F.  Es  hat  diese 
srenau  die  Grosse  des  fossilen  Thieres,  der  Aussenrand  bildet  ebenfalls  eine  starke 

o 

Bogenlinie;  die  Oberfliigcl  sind  grauschwarz  und  haben  am  Hinterrande  eine 
Reihe  von  6  Augenflecken ;  es  sind  diese  roth  und  mit  einem  schwarzen  Punkt 
in  der  Mitte  versehen;  dieser  schwarze  Punkt  umfasst  einen  kleinen  weissen 
Punkt.  In  der  Vertheilung  und  Stellung  dieser  Flecken  stimmt  Pluto  ganz 
mit  Hedonia  uberein,  nur  sind  bei  letzterer  die  Flecken  kleiner  und  von  einem 
schwarzen  Ring  umfasst;  ferner  sind  sic  etwas  welter  vom  Rande  abstehend. 
Die  Vanessa  Hedonia  kommt  auf  Ceylon,  Amboina,  Java  und  den  Phillippinen 
vor,  hat  also  im  tropischen  Asien  eine  weite  Verbreitung. 

Von  Schmetterlingen  mit  ahnlicher  Farbung  konnen  noch  in  Betracht  kom- 
men: die  Argynnis  Diana  Cramer  II,  p.  4,  t.  98,  D.  E.  Say.  Americ.  En-  [182] 
torn.  17,  welche  im  stldlichen  Theile  der  vereinigten  Staaten  (Neu-Georgien,  West- 
florida,  Arkansas  and  Missouri)  lebt.  Es  hat  dieser  Schmetterling  eine  iihnliche 
Tracht,  ist  schwarz  und  am  Hinterrande  mit  einer  Reihe  gelber  Flecken  versehen, 
welche  je  zwischen  die  Langsadern  vcrtheilt  sind.  Diese  gelben  Flecken  reichen 
aber  bis  zum  Rande,  und  ferner  hat  jeder  zwei  schwarze  Punkte.  Auch  ist  die  A. 
Diana  bedeutend  grosser.  In  Grosse  und  Farbung  stimmt  daher  das  fossile  Thier 
mehr  mit  dcr  Hedonia  uberein,  als  mit  der  Diana,  doch  kann  mit  voller  Sicherheit 
erst  dariiber  entschieden  werden,  wenn  enimal  ein  Exemplar  mit  vollstandig  erliall- 


48  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

enem  Hinterrand  gefunden  wird;  was  von  diesem  erhaltcn  1st,  spricht  abcr  auch 
mehr  fiir  die  Hedonia  als  die  Diana. 

Edwards,  in  his  beautiful  woi'k  on  American  Butterflies,  refers  to  this  insect 
in  his  description  of  Argynnis  Diana1  and  reproduces,  from  Ly ell's  Elements  of 
Geology,  Heer's  figure  of  the  insect.  He  remarks:  "It  is  called  Vanessa  Pluto 
in  the  text,  but  is  plainly  an  Argynnis." 

Butler,  when  cataloguing  the  same  insect,  remarks  :2 — 

It  is  quite  possible,  as  Mr.  Edwards  suggests,  that  the  so-called  "  Vanessa 
Pluto"  may  be  the  ancestor  of  P.  Diana,  though  in  the  narrower  banding  of  its 
wings,  with  but  one  row  of  submarginal  spots,  it  more  nearly  resembles  some  of 
the  East  Indian  forms  of  Junonia  Hedonia:  the  two  genera  to  which  these  species 
belong  agree  in  many  respects,  and  are  perhaps  nearly  allied. 

Later,  he  figures  the  fossil  and  refers  it  doubtfully  to  Junonia,  appending  the 
following  remarks  :3— 

I  have  noticed  this  species  at  p.  109  of  my  catalogue  of  Pabrician  Diurnal 
Lepidoptera;  Mr.  W.  H.  Edwards  of  W.  Virginia  having  decided  in  his  Butter- 
flies of  N.  America  that  it  is  unquestionably  an  Argynnis  allied  to  A.  Diana, 
notwithstanding  the  important  discrepancies  which  Heer  points  out  [128].  That 
it  may  bear  some  distant  relationship  to  A.  Diana  is  quite  possible,  but  that  it  is 
"plainly  an  Argynnis"  is  quite  another  thing;  to  my  mind  it  is  plainly  a  Vanessid, 
probably  a  Junonia  near  to  J.  Hedonia,  and  I  think  some  points  in  Heer's  descrip- 
tion (of  which  Mr.  Edwards  takes  no  notice)  are  very  important,  as  evidencing 
its  near  relationship  to  J.  Hedonia  rather  than  to  A.  Diana  [here  he  quotes  Heer's 
description  of  the  submarginal  spots]. 

The  ocelli  are  well  shown  in  Heer's  figure,  but  in  the  woodcuts  by  Lyell  and 
Edwards,  which  have  in  other  respects  been  made  much  darker  than  the  original, 
the  indication  of  the  lower  edge  of  the  ocelli  has  been  omitted  altogether,  and, 
consequently,  the  resemblance  to  the  species  of  Junonia  is  rendered  less  evident. 
I  think  it  just  possible,  from  the  great  resemblance  which  V.  Attavina  of  Heer 
bears  to  the  under  surface  of  J.  Hedonia,  that  it  is  the  reverse  of  J.  Pluto. 

This  species  is  very  simple  in  its  markings  (PI.  II,  fig.  17),  the  whole  upper 
surface,  excepting  a  broad  space  next  the  outer  border  of  the  fore  wings  (the 
equivalent  part  of  the  hind  wings  is  not  preserved)  being  of  an  uniform  dusky 
tint;  a  broad  belt  of  a  lighter  shade  margins  the  (fore)  wings,  growing  less 

'  Butt.  N.  Amer.,  i,  Argynnis,  I.  '  Lep.  Exot.,  i,  xv,  127-28,  PI.  48,  fig.  7;  Geol.  Mag.,  x,  3-4. 

'  Cat.  Fabr.  Lep.,  109.  PI.  ],  flg.  7. 


MYLOTIIEITES    PLUTO.  49 

distinct  from  the  darker  base  above  the  next  to  the  lowest  subcostal  nervule ;  this 
belt  darkens  toward  the  outer  border,  especially  in  slight  dusky  fleckings  along 
the  nervures  and  down  the  middle  of  the  interspaces;  the  latter  streaks  reach 
small,  round,  blackish  spots  about  one-quarter  the  width  of  the  interspaces,  in 
the  middle  of  the  basal  two-thirds  of  their  lighter  parts.  Heer  represents  them 
too  far  from  the  outer  margin  of  the  wing,  and  as  often  crowned  above  with  a 
dark  semicircular  line,  which  is  not  at  all  indicated  in  the  drawing  made  for  me; 
these  spots  are  found,  in  all  the  interspaces  below  the  outermost  superior  sub- 
costal nervule,  but  they  are  very  indistinct  and  minute  above,  faint  below  and  only 
distinct  and  as  large  as  stated  in  the  three  interspaces  next  above  the  lowest 
median  nervule.  The  light  belt  is  two  interspaces  wide  in  the  upper  median 
interspace,  but  widens  a  little  above  this  and  is  separated  from  the  darker  base 
by  a  vague  and  very  slightly  crenate  line  (less  crenate  than  in  the  representation 
by  Heer),  which  approaches  the  outer  margin  at  the  nervures  and  to  a  slightly 
greater  extent  in  the  lower  part  of  each  interspace  than  in  the  upper. 

Pierids  with  so  dark  a  coloring  as  appears  in  this  fossil  are  not  unknown, 
particularly  in  the  genera  Archonias  and  Pereute;  compare  for  example  the  figure 
given  in  Doubleday  and  Hewitson's  Genera  of  Diurnal  Lepidoptera,  PI.  V,  fig. 
2.  And  that  markings  of  this  character  are  not  unknown,  compare  some  species  of 
Ixias,  Hebomoia  and  allied  genera;  if  the  colors  of  Hebomoia  Leucippe,  as  given 
by  Doubleday  and  Hewitson,  were  reversed,  the  resemblance  to  Pluto  would  be 
rather  close ;  and  while  light  spots  in  a  dark  border  are  the  rule  in  this  subfamily, 
dark  spots  on  a  light  ground  are  not  unknown,  and  the  reversal  of  tints  is  a 
not  uncommon  occurrence  in  nearly  related  Lepidoptera. 

A  second  fossil,  which  I  have  been  unable  to  see  or  to  have  redrawn,  is  given 
by  Heer  as  probably  representing  the  under  surface  of  the  same  insect.  His  re- 
marks are  as  follows:1 — 

Hierher  rechne  ich  auch  ein  Stuck  eines  Unterflugels  aus  der  Gratzer  Samm- 
lung,  das  bei  Taf.  XIY,  Fig.  5  [PI.  II,  fig.- 15],  dargestellt  ist.  Die  Hauptadern 
treten  an  diesem  Flugelstiicke  alle  hervor.  Die  beiden  Mitteladern  schliessen  ein 
nicht  sehr  grosses  Mittelfeld  ein ;  ob  dieses  durch  einen  Verbindungsast  zwischen 

'Insekt.  Tert.  CEning,  II,  180. 


50  FOSSIL,   BUTTERFLIES. 

den  beiden  Mitteladern  gcschlossen  1st  odcr  nicht,  war  mir  nicht  moglich  zu  ermit- 
teln;  bei  guter  Belcuchtung  glaubtc  ich  dort  einen  schwaehen  Querandruck  zu  se- 
hen,  der  als  Yerbindungsast  zu  dcutcii  ware ;  jcdenfalls  ware  derselbe  aber  ausserst 
zart,  viel  zarter  als  die  iibrigen  deutlicben  Adern.  Die  aussere  Mittelader  sendet  4 
Aeste  aus,  der  erste  entspringt  nahe  der  Fliigelbasis  und  lauft  nach  dem  Aussen- 
rande,  die  drei  folgcnden  entspringen  nahcr  fliigelspitzwarts.  Die  v.  interno-media 
zerspaltet  sich  in  3  Aeste,  ganz  so  wie  die  des  Oberflugels,  welche  auch  in  gleicher 
"Weise  verlaufen.  Alle  3  Aeste  sind  fast  gleich  weit  von  einander  entfornt  und 
entspringen  nicht  von  einem  Punkt.  Die  vena  analis  zerspaltet  sich  bald  nach 
ihrem  Ursprung  in  zwei  Gabeliiste,  welche  nach  aussen  laufen.  Die  Farbe  des 
Fliigels  ist  ein  helles  Graubraun. 

As  far  as  the  neuration  is  concerned  (excepting  that  of  the  costal  nervure, 
which  is  certainly  incorrectly  rendered,  and  does  not  accord  with  the  description) 
it  agrees  sufficiently  with  the  general  neuration  of  Mylothris1  to  suppose  it  may 
belong  to  the  allied  genus  Mylothrites,  but  that  it  can  belong  to  M.  Pluto  is 

exceedingly  improbable,  as  one  may  judge  by  tracing  the 
probable  extent  of  the  broken  hind  wing,  and  placing  the 
tracing  in  juxtaposition  with  the  fore  wing  of  Pluto,  as  in 
the  accompanying  woodcut  (fig.  1)  ;  for  it  must  be  remem- 
bered that  in  all  the  genera  of  this  subfamily,  the  cell 
extends  at  least  to  the  middle  of  the  wing;  the  hind  wing 
of  M.  Pluto  must,  therefore,  have  certainly  been  fully  one- 
sixth  longer  than  the  wing  conjectured  to  belong  to  it; 

Fig.  1.    The  dotted  enter  border  of 

the  hind  wing  represents  the  proba-    so   great   a   difference   is   at  least  unusual   among   indi- 

ble  limit  of  the  Gratz  fossil.     The 

broken  outer  border  indicates  the    yiduals  of  the  same  species  in  this  group ;  moreover,  the 

probable  size  of  the  hind  wing  of 

neuration  is  not  quite  what  we  should  expect,  although 

the  appearance  of  veins  on  the  drawing  we  have  reproduced  must  be  in  part 
due  to  extraneous  causes;  we  will,  therefore,  make  no  attempt  to  decipher  the 
present  condition  of  the  fossil,  trusting  that  some  of  the  Austrian  lepidopterists 
will  give  the  subject  early  attention. 

A  study  of  the  original  description  and  illustration  of  the  front  wing  of  this 
butterfly  leads  me  to  the  conclusion  that  the  description  of  the  neuration  of 

1  Compare  the  illustrations  referred  to  in  the  note  on  page  4 1 . 


COLIATES.  51 

the  fossil  was  drawn  up  from  the  illustration  and  not  from  the  fossil  itself.  Both 
agree  in  the  points  in  which  my  drawing  (PI.  II,  fig.  7)  differs  from  them;  and 
since  in  these  very  points  they  will  not  harmonize  with  the  neuration  of  any  living 
Lepidoptera,  while  the  drawing  I  present  agrees  as  well  as  could  be  desired  with 
certain  of  them,  I  am  forced  to  believe  the  original  drawing  published  by  Heer, 
and  the  accompanying  description,  presumably  founded  upon  it,  to  be  incorrect. 
I  am  acquainted  with  but  very  few  living  butterflies1  in  which  a  nervule  is  emitted 
from  the  inferior  side  of  the  subcostal  nervure  nearer  the  base  of  the  wing  than 
any  of  the  superior  nervules  of  the  same  vein;  this  is  the  manner  in  which  the 
neuration  of  this  butterfly  is  represented  in  Heer's  plate  and  in  his  description,  if 
read  carefully  in  connection  with  the  plate ;  although  he  does  not  tell  us  on  which 
side  of  his  zweite  Ilauptast  his  dritte  Ilauptast  originates. 

The  description  given  by  Heer  of  the  markings  of  the  fore  wing  is  more 
complete  than  I  have  been  able  to  offer  from  an  inspection  of  drawings  alone;  it 
differs,  too,  in  one  somewhat  important  point,  in  that  what  I  have  called  a  broad 
lighter  belt  with  blackish  dots  in  each  interspace,  he  has  described  as  a  series 
of  pale  circular  spots  as  broad  as  the  interspaces,  each  containing  a  blackish  pupil. 
A  reexamination  of  the  fossil  upon  this  point  is  desirable;  the  only  indication  of 
such  circular  pale  spots  in  my  drawing  is  the  curved  boundary  in  each  interspace 
between  the  darker  and  lighter  portions. 

Tertiaries  of  Radoboj,  Croatia.     Fore  wing,  Hof-Mineralien  Kabinet,  Vienna. 
Hind  wing,  Museum  of  Gratz,  Austria. 


COLIATES  SCUDDER. 

The  fore  wing  (PI.  II,  fig.  5)  is  slightly  more  than  twice  as  long  as  broad; 
the  costal  border  is  straight  for  fully  two-thirds  its  length,  and  then  curves  grad- 
ually and  slightly  downward,  the  apex  rounded  off;  the  outer  margin  has  a  nearly 
regular  and  slight  convexity,  but  is  nearly  straight  in  the  middle  half;  the  lower 
outer  angle  is  rounded  and  the  inner  margin  slightly  convex.  The  costal  nervure 

'Those,  it  is  true,  arc  Durcal,  but  aberrant  forms,  like  Leptidia,  etc. 


52  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

scarcely  reaches  the  middle  of  the  costal  border;  the  discoidal  cell  is  but  little 
more  than  half  the  length  of  the  wing;  the  subcostal  nervure  has  but  two  superior 
branches,  although  the  outer  is  not  only  itself  forked,  but  its  upper  fork  is 
branched  at  the  extreme  tip  of  the  wing;  the  first  superior  nervule  is  emitted  at 
some  distance  previous  to  the  tip  of  the  cell,  or  opposite  the  base  of  the  first 
median  nervure;  it  terminates  in  the  middle  of  the  outer  half  of  the  costal 
margin,  and  the  forked  branch  of  the  outer  superior  nervule  supports  the  extreme 
apex  of  the  wing;  the  inferior  subcostal  nervule  arises  midway  between  the  bases 
of  the  two  superior  nervules,  and  terminates  about  one-third  way  down  the  outer 
border;  the  vein  closing  the  cell  strikes  it  near  the  base  and  has  an  inward  con- 
vexity, meeting  the  upper  median  nervule  farther  from  its  origin;  the  first  median 
nervule  originates  at  some  distance  beyond  the  middle  of  the  cell. 

In  the  form  of  the  wing  and  its  neuration  this  fossil  group  is  more  nearly 
allied  to  Delias  (PL  II,  fig.  4)  than  to  any  other  genus  I  have  been  able  to  ex- 
amine. It  is  plain  at  first  glance  that  it  must  be  placed  in  the  vicinity  of 
Delias,  Thyca,  Prioneris  and  similar  East  Indian  Pugacia,  in  which  there  are  but 
two  superior  subcostal  nervules,  and  in  which  the  outer  of  these  is  forked;  but  I 
have  met  with  no  instance  among  these  in  which  one  of  these  forks  is  itself 
branched;  and  this  insect  differs  notably  from  them  all  in  the  elongate  form  of 
the  wing,  the  remarkably  straight  costa1  and  the  shorter  discoidal  cell;  and  from 
all  Pierids  in  the  shortness  of  its  costal  nervure  and  the  basal  extension  of  the  first 
superior  subcostal  nervule;  this  latter  nervure  always  originates,  in  every  living 
type  I  have  examined,  at  or  beyond  a  point  opposite  the  middle  of  the  space 
between  the  bases  of  the  first  and  second  median  nervules. 


COLIATES  PROSERPINA  SCUDDKR. 
Plate  II,  fig.  5. 

The  fossil  to  which  I  have  given  this  name  is  exceedingly  obscure,  having  no 
color  whatever  distinct  from  the  stone  in  which  it  is  imbedded ;  this  is  of  a  chalky 
gray  color.  I  have  seen  both  impression  and  reverse,  the  latter  a  little  in  relief. 

1  See,  however,  the  American  genus  Leortonta. 


PONTIA.  53 

The  fossil  consists  of  both  anterior  wings,  one  beneath  and  slightly  in  advance  of 
the  other,  thus  complicating  very  greatly  the  study  of  the  already  indistinct 
neuration;  in  addition  to  this  the  wings  are  crumpled  and  additional  longitu- 
dinal lines  are  present,  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the  longitudinal  nervures. 
On  this  account  it  should  be  stated  that  there  may  be  some  doubt  about  the  exact 
position  of  the  lowest  three  branchlets  of  the  subcostal  nervure.  The  stone  has 
been  broken  next  the  edge  of  the  wing,  and  its  form  can  thus  be  traced  where 
the  real  border  is  wanting,  although  again  the  drawing  presented  may  be  slightly 
inaccurate  next  the  inner  margin;  but  the  probabilities  are  great  that  it  is  correct 
throughout.  The  spots  which  are  represented  on  our  plate  in  the  middle  of  the 
lower  median,  subeosto-median  and  lower  subcostal  interspaces,  are  only  irregu- 
larities of  surface  on  the  stone,  but  as  they  appear  in  regular  position  are  not 
improbably  dark  spots,  upon  a  light  ground.  A  few  points  for  the  insertion 
of  the  scales  can  be  detected  near  the  apex  of  the  wings,  -075mm-  apart.  The 
neuration  of  the  fossil  agrees  better  with  that  of  Delias  Pasithoe  than  with 
that  of  any  other  butterfly  I  have  examined.  Length  of  wing,  21ram-;  greatest 
breadth,  9mm-. 

Tertiaries  of  Aix,  Provence,  France.     Collection  of  Count  de  Saporta. 


PAPILION IDJE  —  D  ANAI  —  VORACIA. 

PONTIA  FABIUCIUS. 

Pierites  HEKR,  Insekt.  Tert.  (Ening.,  ii,  182;  In.,  Nouv.  Mem.  Soc.  Helv.,  xi,  182;  GIEB.,  Faun,  der  Vorw., 
il,  187. 

Fore  wings  fully  three-quarters  as  long  again  as  broad,  the  costal  margin 
slightly  convex  at  the  basal  and  apical  fifth,  scarcely  bent  at  an  angle  with  the  nearly 
straight  middle  portion,  the  outer  angle  abrupt  but  softened.  Outer  margin  nearly 
straight  and  inclined  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees  with  the  middle  portion  of 
the  costal  border,  above  the  middle  subcostal  nervule  receding  slightly  in  a  gentle 
curve.  Inner  margin  straight,  the  outer  angle  well  rounded.  Costal  nervure  ter- 
minating a  little  beyond  the  middle  of  the  margin.  Subcostal  nervure  with  three 

MEMOIRS   A.    A.    A.    8.  9 


54  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

superior  branches;  the  first  arising  shortly  before  the  middle  of  the  outer  half  of 
the  cell,  a  little  nearer  the  apex  of  the  cell  in  the  female  than  in  the  male;  the  sec- 
ond arising  scarcely  (male),  or  a  very  little  (female),  beyond  the  tip  of  the  cell; 
the  third  emitted  at  about  two-fifths  the  distance  from  the  apex  of  the  cell  to  the 
outer  margin,  forked  at  the  extreme  tip  in  the  male.  Cell  half  as  long  as  the 
wing  and  nearly  four  times  as  long  as  broad. 

The  butterflies  are  scarcely  larger  than  those  of  the  genus  Pieris,  but  have 
more  pointed  fore  wings;  like  them  they  are  white,  but  extensively  spotted  with 
deep  brown;  the  fore  wings  have  a  broad  bar  at  the  tip  of  the  cell,  and  midway 
between  this  and  the  outer  border  a  widely  interrupted  transverse  series  of  similar 
but  smaller  spots;  the  outer  border,  especially  the  upper  half,  is  also  more  or  less 
distinctly  margined  with  triangular,  frequently  confluent  spots  seated  in  the  inter- 
spaces; these  occur  more  often  in  the  female  than  in  the  male. 

The  characters  given  above  are  drawn  wholly  from  recent  species  of  the 
genus. 


PONTIA  FREYERI  (Hcer)  SCUDDER. 
Plate  II,  figs.  16,  18. 

Pieritfs  Freyerl  HKEH,  Insekt.  Tert.  CEning.,  ii,  182-83,  Taf.  14,  fig.  0  (1849);  IB.,  Nouv.  Mem.  Soc.  Holv., 
xi,  182-83,  Taf.  14,  flg.  6  (1850);  GIKB.,  Dcutschl.  Petref.,  G44  (1852);  IB.,  Faun,  der  Vorvv.,  ii,  187 
(1856) ;  KIRB.,  Syii.  Cat.  Diurn.  Lep.,  509  (1871). 

The  original  description  of  this  insect  we  owe  to  Heer;  it  is  as  follows:1 

Alls  anterioribus  lividis,  margine  maculisque  duabus.nigris. 

Lange  des  Yorderfliigels  9|  Lin.,  Brcite  5J  Lin. 

Radoboi.  Ein  einzelner  Vorderfliigel,  dessen  Spitze  und  theilweise  auch  Hin- 
terrand  aber  zerstort  ist,  in  der  k.  k.  montanistischen  Sammlung  zu  Wien.  [PI.  II, 
fig.  16.] 

Das  Geader  ist  nicht  in  seinem  Yerlauf  zu  ermitteln  und  da  auch  der  Umriss 
des  Flugels  nicht  vollstandig  vorliegt,  ist  die  Gattung  nicht  mit  Sicherheit  zu 
ermitteln.  In  Form  und  Farbe  scheint  er  am  meisten  mit  manchen  Pieriden, 
namentlich  Pieris  Daplidice,  zu  stimmen,  wofur  auch  das  dimne  Schuppenkleid, 
das  er  gehabt  zu  haben  scheint,  angefuhrt  werden  kann,  wogcgen  die  allerdings 
stumpfen  Zacken  am  Hinterrand  eine  abweichende  Bildung  zeigen. 

1  Innekt.  Tert.  CEning.,  ii,  182-3. 


PONTIA   FREYERI.  55 

Der  Flugel  ist  am  Grunde  stark  verschmalert,  nach  dem  Hinterrande  zu  stark 
verbreitcrt;  der  Hinterrand  ist  stumpf  gekerbt;  in  die  Bucht  der  Kerbe  lauft  eine 
Langsfalte,  in  die  Mitte  derselben  eine  Ader  aus,  die  man  aber  nicht  bis  zur  Inser- 
tionsstelle  verfolgen  kann;  die  aussere  Fliigelspitze  fehlt;  ebenso  ein  Stuck  des 
Hinterrandes  an  der  [183]  Nahtseite.  Von  den  Adern  kann  man  nur  die  einfache 
v.  analis  in  ihrer  ganzen  Lange  verfolgen;  sie  ist  dem  Nahtrande  sehr  genilhert. 
Die  Farbe  des  Flilgels  ist  hell  gelbbraun  und  war  im  Leben  wohl  weiss  oder  gelb- 
lich.  Der  Hinterrand  ist  von  der  Mitte  an  bis  znm  Anssenrand  schwarz,  und  zwar 
wird  diese  dunkle  Partbie  auswiirts  breiter;  ungefahr  in  der  Fliigelmitte  geht  vom 
Aussenrand  ein  viereckiger,  dunkler  Fleck  aus,  welcher  dieselbe  Grosse,  Form 
und  Stellung  hat,  wie  der  schwarze  Fleck  bei  Pieris  Daplidice;  ein  zweiter  klein- 
erer,  rundlicher  Fleck  Hegt  niiher  dem  Hinter-  und  ISTahtrande  und  entspricht 
dem,  an  derselben  Stelle  liegenden,  Flecken  der  Unterseite  von  Pieris  Daplidice.— 
Am  Flugelgrunde  bemerkt  man  den  Schenkel  und  Schiene  eines  dtinneii  Beines, 
das  wohl  diesem  Thiere  angehort  hat. 

This  insect  evidently  belongs  to  the  genus  Pontia,  judging  from  the  disposi- 
tion of  the  markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  fore  wings  (PI.  II,  fig.  18) ;  this 
is  the  only  thing  we  have  here  to  guide  us,  although  the  drawing  made  for  us  in 
Vienna  seems  to  show  that  with  great  pains  the  neuration  of  at  least  a  part  of  the 
apex  might  be  traced  and  lead  to  more  positive  determination.  The  fossil  species 
seems  best  comparable  with  P.  Protodice  (PI.  II,  fig.  12)  of  X.  America,  although, 
as  suggested  by  Heer,  most  nearly  resembling  P.  Daplidice,  of  European  species. 
The  dark  spot  at  the  apex  of  the  cell  appears  to  cover  a  larger  area  than  in  P. 
Protodice,  extending  with  equal  breadth  almost  to  the  costal  margin,  and  also 
covering  a  considerable  space  at  the  base  of  the  subcosto-median  interspace,  equal 
indeed  to  the  entire  width  of  the  portion  of  the  spot  within  the  cell.  The  region 
below  this  spot,  next  the  base  of  the  lower  median  interspace,  is  also  rather  faintly 
suffused  with  griseous  tints.  The  precise  extent  of  the  subcostal  spots  midway 
between  the  cell  and  the  apex  cannot  be  determined,  owing  to  the  imperfect  state 
of  the  fossil ;  but  they  evidently  form  a  connected  series  as  much  larger  than  the 
similar  spots  in  P.  Protodice  as  the  cellular  spot,  and  extend  from  the  costal 
margin  to  the  lowest  subcostal  nervures,  expanding  considerably  baseward  in  the 
upper  half  of  their  course.  There  is  no  spot  in  the  upper  median  interspace,  as 
in  P.  Protodice,  but,  instead,  a  precisely  similar  one  in  the  middle  of  the  apical 


56  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

three-fifths  of  the  lower  median  interspace,  where  it  does  not  occur  in  P.  Proto- 
dice;  and  this  affords  the  principal  ground  for  supposing  the  insect  to  be  generi- 
cally  distinct  from  Pontia,  no  distinctive  premarginal  spot  occurring  in  this  inter- 
space in  any  species  of  Pontia  which  we  have  seen.  The  dusky  premarginal 
fleckings  of  the  nervures  terminating  on  the  outer  border,  often  enlarging  into 
distinct  spots,  which  are  so  usual  in  Pontia,  especially  in  the  upper  half  of  the 
wing,  are  also  absent  from  the  fossil  species;  but  in  their  place  the  whole  outer 
margin  appears  to  be  almost  uniformly,  though  not  heavily,  griseous,  a  little  more 
distinctly  so  in  the  upper  than  in  the  lower  half  of  the  wing.  The  spot  just 
beyond  the  middle  of  the  medio-submedian  interspace,  distinct  in  P.  Protodice, 
but  deepest  in  shade  on  the  lower  half  of  the  interspace,  and  in  other  species 
sometimes  wholly  confined  to  it,  is  seen  in  the  fossil  species,  but  is  far  less 
distinct,  confined  to  the  lower  half  and  situated  exactly  in  the  middle.  There 
are  indications  also  of  dark  markings  following  the  basal  third  of  the  sub- 
median  nervure;  and  apparently  the  basal  half  of  the  costal  edge,  as  far  as  the 
costal  nervure,  is  darker  than  any  part  of  the  wing,  excepting  in  a  sudden  and 
rather  broad,  distinct  break  in  its  middle.  This  darker  portion  is  considered  by 
Heer  as  the  femur  of  one  of  the  legs,  superimposed  upon  the  base  of  the  wing; 
perhaps,  however,  this  is  due  to  an  accidental  folding  of  the  wing  at  this  point, 
which  seems  the  more  probable,  because  if  we  suppose  this  darker  portion  to  be 
turned  back,  the  curve  of  the  costal  border  would  approximate  much  more  closely 
to  its  condition  in  P.  Protodice;  while  its  present  form  is  much  straighter,  exhib- 
iting only  a  very  slight  and  regular  convexity.  As  far  as  can  be  judged  from 
the  fragment,  the  form  of  the  other  parts  of  the  wing  coincides  with  that  of  P. 
Protodice. 

As  in  all  species  of  Pontia  there  is  a  slight  wrinkling  of  the  membrane  in  the 
interspaces,  forming  slight  channels  running  from  the  outer  border  inward,  nearly 
to  the  depth  of  two  interspaces,  indicated  in  the  fossil  by  dark  lines  as  heavy  as 
the  nervures,  and  caused  by  their  filling  with  sedimentary  material.  The  extreme 
length  of  the  part  of  the  wing  preserved  is  24mm-  and  the  greatest  width  22.5mm . 

The  markings  lead  one  to  conjecture  that  the  individual  was  a  male. 


THAITES.  57 


PAPILIONID  JE  —  PAPILIONIDES  —  PABNASSII. 
THAITES   HKKR,  MS. 

Body  rather  robust  (PI.  Ill,  figs.  9  and  10).  Vertex  of  head  large,  broad, 
convex.  Eyes  pretty  large,  short  ovate,  their  longer  diameter  vertical.  Palpi  (PI. 
Ill,  fig.  7)  slender,  resembling  those  of  Thais,  but  rather  longer,  extending  far 
beyond  the  eye,  rather  thinly  clothed  with  hairs.  Antennae  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  8)  resem- 
bling those  of  Sericinus  more  than  those  of  Thais,  being  about  half  as  long  as  the 
body,  slender  and  equal  on  the  basal  three-fifths,  gradually  expanding  beyond  into 
a  club,  which  is  more  than  twice  as  broad  as  the  stem,  and  stoutest  just  before  the 
well  rounded,  slightly  upturned  tip ;  in  the  middle  of  the  antennae  the  joints  are 
half  as  long  again  as  broad,  broader  than  long  at  the  base  of  the  club,  and  three 
or  four  times  as  broad  as  long  in  the  middle  of  the  club  and  beyond ;  on  the  apical 
half  of  the  club,  and  perhaps  a  little  further,  the  joints  of  the  club  are  furnished 
with  a  double  row  of  minute  shallow  pits,  such  as  are  seen  in  Eurymus.  The 
tongue  was  at  least  as  long  as  the  thorax. 

The  thorax  is  well  arched  and  pretty  stout;  the  paraptera  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  6)  are 
a  little  more  than  twice  as  long  as  broad,  their  outer  edge  nearly  straight,  the  pos- 
terior extremity  broad  and  well  rounded.  The  legs  are  not  well  enough  preserved 
to  state  anything  concerning  them  with  certainty,  but  the  middle  (?)  pair  are 
probably  of  the  length  of  the  antennee. 

The  fore  wings  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  3)  are  only  a  little  more  than  half  as  long  again 
as  broad,  the  greatest  breadth  beyond  the  middle;  the  costal  border  is  pretty  regu- 
larly and  not  greatly  arched  throughout;  the  outer  margin  is  more  strongly  arched 
but  with  a  similar  regularity,  and  the  general  direction  of  its  upper  half  is  at  right 
angles  to  the  outer  third  of  the  costal  border,  the  apex  scarcely  rounded  off;  the 
inner  border  is  nearly  straight.  The  proportions  of  the  hind  wing,  as  to  length 
and  breadth,  are  nearly  the  same  as  those  of  the  fore  wings,  making  it  unusually 
long  and  narrow,  as  in  Thais  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  4),  and  also,  as  there,  nearly  as  broad 
toward  the  base  as  at  tip.  The  costal  border  is  rather  strongly  convex  next  the 
base  of  the  wing,  but  beyond  is  nearly  straight,  sloping  apically  so  as  to  make  a 


58  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

uniform  curve  with  the  outer  border,  which  is  almost  entire  as  in  Parnassius  (PI. 
Ill,  fig.  5),  rather  than  as  in  Thais  (PL  III,  fig.  4),  strongly  arched,  especially 
near  the  last  median  nervnle,  and  angulated  below  where  it  meets  with  the  regu- 
larly and  broadly  concave  inner  margin. 

In  the  neuration  of  the  fore  wings  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  1)  this  genus  is  peculiar  for 
the  shortness  of  its  cell,  which  is  less  than  half  as  long  as  the  wing,  and  is  broad- 
est  in  the  middle  of  its  distal  half,  beyond  which  it  narrows  rather  rapidly.  The 
costal  nervure  terminates  a  little  before  the  middle  of  the  outer  two-thirds  of  the 
costal  border.  The  subcostal  nervure  emits  two  superior  branches  before  the  cell ; 
the  first  is  thrown  off  near  the  middle  of  the  outer  half  of  the  cell  and  teraiinates 
as  far  beyond  the  tip  of  the  costal  nervure  as  it  is  beyond  the  middle  of  the  costal 
border;  beyond  the  emission  of  the  first  superior  nervule  the  subcostal  nervure 
curves  downward  away  from  the  costal  nervure,  with  which  it  had  hitherto  been 
parallel,  and  throws  off  the  second  superior  nervule  shortly  before  the  apex  of  the 
cell;  this  nervule  terminates  exactly  at  the  apex  of  the  wing,  but,  just  before  the 
tip,  divides,  sending  a  short  branch  to  the  outer  border;  about  two-fifths  of  the  dis- 
tance from  the  tip  of  the  cell  to  the  outer  border,  the  subcostal  nervure  divides 
into  two  branches  which  reach  the  outer  border  near  the  middle  of  its  upper  half; 
the  inferior  subcostal  nervule  leaves  the  nervure  nearly  at  right  angles,  but  almost 
immediately  turns  and  runs  subparallel  to  it  and  its  lower  ultimate  branch.  The 
median  nervure  throws  off  its  first  nervule  a  little  beyond  the  middle  of  the  cell ; 
its  second  midway  between  this  and  the  base  of  the  fourth,  and  the  third  midway 
between  its  two  neighbors ;  beyond  the  emission  of  the  second  nervule  the  nervure 
bends  upward,  and  still  more  on  throwing  off  the  subsequent  one;  the  first  two 
nervules  are  straight,  the  upper  two  arched,  and  the  base  of  the  last  is  united  to 
the  short  basal  fragment  of  the  inferior  subcostal  nervule  by  a  curving  vein  open- 
ing outward,  whose  general  course  is  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the  costal  border. 

In  the  hind  wing  the  relation  of  the  cell  to  the  length  of  the  wing  is  as  in  the 
front  pair;  it  is  broadest  at  the  first  divarications  of  the  bordering  nervures  and 
narrows  rapidly  beyond.  The  first  branches  of  the  subcostal  and  median  nervures 
are  emitted  near  the  middle  of  the  distal  half  of  the  cell,  and  that  of  the  subcostal 


THAITES.  59 

is  a  nearly  straight  continuation  of  the  basal  portion  of  the  nervure;  the  outer  sub- 
costal and  median  nervules  are  twice  as  close  at  base  as  any  of  the  others,  and  the 
middle  nervules  divide  the  space  between  the  first  and  third;  the  submedian  ner- 
vure is  parallel  to,  and  scarcely  removed  from,  the  inner  border. 

In  the  pattern  of  their  markings  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  3)  the  wings  of  Thaites  are 
rather  simple.  The  fore  wing  is  provided  with  four  nearly  equidistant,  nearly 
straight,  transverse,  pale  stripes,  depending  at  about  right  angles  from  the  subcos- 
tal nervure,  unequal  in  length  and  width,  the  third  from  the  base  situated  in  the 
middle  of  the  wing ;  and  also  with  a  submarginal  curving  row  of  moderately  large, 
transversely  ovate  spots,  one  in  each  interspace  opening  on  the  outer  border,  ex- 
cepting the  subcosto-median  and  medio-submedian  interspaces,  all  ranged  in  a 
series  curving  more  strongly  than  the  outer  border.  The  hind  wing  is  nearly  uni- 
form on  the  basal  half,  but  beyond  is  crossed  by  transverse,  curving,  dark,  cloudy 
bands,  broadening  on  the  nervures  and  enclosing  between  them  roundish  or  trans- 
versely ovate  pale  spots. 

The  abdomen  is  stout,  half  as  long  as  the  hind  wings,  well  arched,  and  the 
terminal  segment  (of  the  female?)  half  as  long  as  broad,  the  segments  provided 
with  a  latero-dorsal  and  pleural  row  of  very  small,  vertically  ovate,  pale  spots. 

This  genus  differs  from  Thais  (PI.  Ill,  figs.  2,  4)  and  the  other  genera  allied 
to  the  swallow-tails  in  about  the  same  degree  as  they  do  among  themselves.  It 
is  closely  allied  to  Thais  in  most  particulars;  the  antennae  resemble  those  of  Thais, 
more  than  they  do  those  of  other  genera,  if  we  except  only  Sericinus;  in  the 
form  of  the  wings  it  lies  midway  between  Thais  and  Archon;  as  to  neuration 
the  discoidal  cell  of  the  fore  wings  has  the  form  seen  in  Sericinus,  being  broadest 
apically,  while  in  Parnassius  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  5),  Thais  and  Eurycus  it  is  largest  in  the 
middle;  but  it  is  shorter  than  half  the  length  of  the  wing,  while  in  Sericinus,  as  in 
all  the  other  genera,  it  is  considerably  more  than  half  the  length  of  the  wing;  the 
tip  of  the  cell  is  limited  above,  in  most  of  these  genera,  by  the  vein  closing  the  cell; 
that  is,  the  inferior  subcostal  nervule  originates  beyond  the  tip  of  the  cell ;  but  in 
Thais  it  originates  at  the  tip  of  the  cell,  while  in  Thaites  the  cell  is  limited  by  the 
inferior  subcostal  nervule  and  the  vein  closing  the  cell  originates  from  it;  in  other 
particulars  of  its  neuration  it  resembles  the  tailed  Sericinus. 


60  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

In  design  (PL  III,  fig.  3)  Thaites  recalls  none  of  the  recent  genera  very 
closely.  In  the  fore  wings  it  approaches  Thais  (PL  III,  fig.  4)  rather  than  the 
others,  and  in  the  hind  wings  some  species  of  Parnassius  (PL  III,  fig.  5).  It  has 
none  of  the  eccentric  spots  of  Parnassius  and  a  darker  ground  than  any  of  the 
modern  types.  It  is  wholly  unprovided  with  the  strongly  marked  crescentic  spots 
of  Thais,  but  in  the  position,  form  and  arrangement  of  the  principal  markings 
rather  recalls  Archon.  Excepting  Eurycus  and  some  species  of  Thais,  no  modern 
genera  resemble  Thaites  in  the  extension  of  a  distinctive  pattern  upon  the  hind 
wings  to  or  nearly  to  the  extremity  of  the  cell.  "Whether  any  of  the  markings 
were  accompanied  by  the  brilliant  spots  often  seen  in  Thais,  Archon  and  Parnas- 
sius cannot  be  determined,  but  we  may  presume  that  they  were  not,  since  in  these 
genera  the  markings  are  dark  upon  a  lighter  ground,  while  in  Thaites  they  are 
light  upon  a  dark  ground,  —  a  combination  found  among  the  Papilonid  genera, 
only  in  some  of  the  swallow  tails. 

In  the  markings  of  the  abdomen,  I  do  not  know  that  we  find  anything  parallel 
to  Thaites  among  the  Parnassians,  but  among  the  neighboring  Equites  there  are 
similar  examples  of  rows  of  small  light  spots  on  a  dark  ground.  I  have  not  been 
able,  however,  to  examine  this  point  carefully. 


THAITES   RUMINIANA  HKKU   MS. 
Plate  HI,  figs.  1,  3,  6-10. 

Thaites  lluminiana  HERR,  Climat  pays  tert.,  trad.  Gaudin,  205  (1861)  [absq.  descr.] ;  Sap.,  Ann.  Sc.  Nat. 
[6],  Bot.,  xv,  343  (1872)  [ibid.]. 

The  wings  were  evidently  dark  with  light  markings.  On  the  fore  wings  the 
first  transverse  stripe  (PL  III,  fig.  3)  extends  from  the  subcostal  nervure,  midway 
between  its  first  divarication  and  the  base  of  the  wing,  almost  to  the  middle  of  the 
basal  two-thirds  of  the  inner  border;  it  is  slender,  nearly  equal  and  straight,  the 
portion  within  the  cell  about  four  times  as  long  as  broad ;  the  second  transverse 
band  is  the  largest,  and  lies  midway  between  the  first  and  the  third,  parallel  to 
them,  reaching  from  the  subcostal  nervure  almost  to  the  inner  border;  it  is  straight 
and  equal,  and  the  portion  within  the  cell  (which  is  half  of  the  whole,  although 


THAITE8   RUMLN7ANA.  61 

traversing  the  cell  at  its  broadest  part)  is  three  times  as  long  as  broad;  the  third 
transverse  bar  is  in  the  middle  of  the  wing,  smaller  than  the  first  and  equally  slen- 
der, extending  from  the  subcostal  nervure,  just  beyond  the  tip  of  the  cell,  almost  to 
the  upper  median  nervule;  it  is  equal  and  straight  excepting  above,  where  it  curves 
inward  following  the  border  of  the  cell ;  the  outermost  is  broader  and  more  irreg- 
ular, depending  from  the  first  superior  subcostal  nervule  and  extending  nearly  to 
the  upper  median  nervule,  so  that  its  exterior  border  just  strikes  the  subcostal  ner- 
vure at  its  divarication  far  beyond  the  cell ;  the  inner  margin  is  straight  and  the 
spot  thus  forms  a  transverse  bar,  straight  and  equal  above  the  subcostal  nervure, 
but  with  the  outer  border  sloping  away  so  that  the  lower  extremity  is  twice  as 
broad  as  the  upper.  The  submarginal  series  of  spots  are  of  nearly  equal  size,  the 
uppermost  largest,  the  next  two  smallest;  each  set  of  three  forms  a  nearly  straight 
line,  but  all  together  they  follow  a  strong  curve  which  approaches  close  to  the 
border  in  the  lowest  subcostal  interspace,  being  separated  from  it  by  but  its  own 
width;  above  this  they  recede  rapidly  from  the  border,  the  outer  edge  of  the  in- 
nermost being  next  the  fork  of  the  second  superior  subcostal  nervule;  but  below, 
the  spots  are  parallel  to  the  outer  border  and  separated  by  about  an  interspace's 
width  from  it;  the  upper  spots  are  transversely  broad  ovate;  the  lower  transversely 
subquadrate ;  apparently  the  fringe  is  exceedingly  short  and  concolorous  as  in 
Parnassius. 

The  basal  parts  of  the  hind  wing  are  almost  uniformly  dark,  excepting  that 
there  is  a  paler  suffusion  in  the  outer  part  of  the  cell ;  beyond,  the  wing  is  clouded 
with  darker,  transverse,  strongly  curving,  powdery  stripes;  the  most  conspicuous 
of  these  is  one  which  crosses  the  wing  a  little  outside  the  middle  of  the  portion 
beyond  the  cell;  it  takes  its  rise  in  a  darker  spot,  which  borders  the  wing  just 
above  the  tip  of  the  upper  subcostal  nervure,  and  runs  in  a  nearly  straight  line, 
widening  as  it  goes,  to  the  lowest  subcostal  nervule,  where  it  reaches  its  greatest 
width,  and  scarcely  narrowing  curves  around  to  the  inner  border  a  little  before  its 
tip;  on  the  nervules  it  reaches  further  baseward  and  borderward.  Between  this 
belt  and  another  similar  but  much  less  conspicuous  band,  half  way  between  it  and 
the  tip  of  the  cell,  are  enclosed  circular  pale  spots,  one  occupying  the  entire  width 
of  each  interspace  below  the  middle  subcostal  nervule  and  a  portion  of  the  one 

MEMOIRS   A.    A.    A.    8.  10 


62  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

above  it ;  following  the  principal  dark  band  are  two  alternating  sets  of  dark  and 
light,  narrow,  inconspicuous,  transverse  stripes,  more  or  less  confused  in  the  middle 
of  the  wing,  the  dark  bands  broadening  and  deepening  at  the  nervures,  breaking 
the  paler  bands  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  into  broad  transverse  spots ;  the  fringe 
appears  to  be  as  on  the  fore  wings.  Judging  from  the  form  of  the  last  abdominal 
segment,  and  the  great  size  of  the  abdomen,  this  specimen  was  probably  a  female. 
Length  of  fore  wing,  25'nm-;  breadth  of  the  same,  14'3mm-;  length  of  antennae,  about 
Qmm..  kreaclth  of  antennae  in  middle  of  stem,  •2mm>;  breadth  of  antennas  toward  tip 
of  club,  -5mm: 

Tertiaries  of  Aix.     Collection  of  Professor  Heer;  Zurich,  Switzerland. 


TTRBICOI,.a3  —  HESPERIDES. 

THANATITES   SCCDDER. 

Very  much  of  the  general  appearance  of  Thanaos  Boisd.  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  2)  but 
with  somewhat  differently  formed  wings  and  markings  which  will  not  accord  with 
those  of  the  latter  genus,  although  the  two  genera  are  certainly  nearly  allied. 

The  body  (PI.  in,  fig.  12)  is  fully  as  stout  as  in  Thanaos  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  11), 
the  tongue  at  least  as  long  as  the  thorax,  the  eyes  ovate  and  larger  than  in 
Thanaos,  and  the  palpi  with  the  terminal  joint  proportionally  larger,  which  is  an 
unusual  feature  in  the  Urbicolae.  The  legs  are  apparently  short,  the  wings  ample. 
The  costal  margin  of  the  fore  wings  is  nearly  straight,  being  scarcely  arched  on 
the  apical  half,  the  upper  half  of  outer  border  as  in  Thanaos,  the  rest  not  pre- 
served; the  costal  fold  of  the  male  is  narrow  and  extends  a  very  little  beyond  the 
middle  of  the  costal  border,  while  in  Thanaos  it  reaches  considerably  further;  the 
hind  wings  have  the  general  shape  of  Thanaos,  but  the  tipper  outer  angle  is  much 
more  produced,  and  the  base  of  the  costal  border  is  arched  only  to  the  degree  that 
the  apex  is,  and  the  portion  between  them  is  but  slightly  convex;  the  outer  border 
is  almost  precisely  as  in  Thanaos  and  the  inner  border  is,  doubtless,  folded  in  the 
fossil  so  as  to  conceal  its  true  character.  Very  little  of  the  neuration  can  be 
determined,  and  what  can  be  made  out  is  comparatively  unimportant  and  agrees 
with  the  neuration  of  Thanaos;  the  third  superior  subcostal  nervule  strikes  the 


THANATITES   VETULA.  63 

apex  of  the  fore  wing  as  in  that  genus.     As  to  the  markings,  the  agreement  with 
Thanaos  is  less  striking,  although  the  pattern  resembles  that  of  Thanaos  more 
closely  than  it  does  that  of  any  other  genus.     In  the  fore  wings  the  spot  in  the 
cell  of  Thanaos  is  wanting  in  the  fossil,  but  in  its  stead  there  is  a  costal  spot  at 
the  extremity  of  the  costal  fold;  the  subapical  spots  of  Thanaos  depending  from 
the  costa  are  distinctly  repeated  in  Thanatites,  and  in  addition  there  is  a  submar- 
ginal  series  of  small  round  spots  of  which  the  upper  two,  in  the  uppermost  in- 
terspaces opening  on  the  outer  border,  are  the  only  ones  visible  on  the  fossil 
by  its  mode  of  preservation.     On  the  under  surface  of  the  hind  wings  of  Thana- 
tites, there  is  a  regular  submarginal  series  of  equal,  rather  small,  round  spots,  one 
in  each  interspace,  placed  between  the  location  of  the  marginal  and  submarginal 
spots  which  occur  in  Thanaos,  often  distinctly,  occasionally  as  faint  blurred  bands, 
as  in  T.  Juvenalis  (PL  III,  fig.  11) ;   the  inner  of  these  two  series  in  Thanaos, 
which  corresponds  best  to  the  submarginal  series  of  Thanatites,  is  irregular  instead 
of  parallel  to  the  border,  being  always  bent  inward  opposite  the  cell.     Instead  of 
the  spot,  placed  in  the  costo-subcostal  interspace  of  Thanaos  near  the  middle  of  the 
wing,  and  seen  distinctly  in  T.  Juvenalis,  there  are  two  spots,  which,  with  a  third 
near  the  base  of  the  wing  above  the  costal  nervure,  are  placed  at  equal  distances 
apart  and  from  the  costal  border;  in  addition  there  are  two  spots,  seldom  even 
indicated  in  Thanaos,  near  the  centre  of  the  wing,  the  larger  of  which  is  near  the 
apex  of  the  cell.    These  differences  alone  would  suffice  to  show  that  the  fossil  can- 
not be  referred  to  Thanaos,  and,  with  the  other  indications  we  have  given,  compel 
us  to  place  it  apart,  but  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  this  group  of  Urbicolse. 


THANATITES   VETULA   (HKYDEN)   SCUDDKR. 
Plate  III,  figs.  12,  16. 

Vanessa  vetula  HEYD.,  Palseontographica,  viii,  12-13,  Taf.  i,  fig.  10  (1859). 
Araschnia  vetula  KIKB.,  Syn.  Cat.  Diurn.  Lep.  179  (1871). 

The  only  notice  of  this  insect  that  has  been  published  is  the  original  figure 
and  description  of  von  Heyden.  The  figure  is  reproduced  in  our  PL  III,  fig.  16. 
The  description  is  as  follows : 1 — 

i  Palaoiitogr.  viii,  13-13. 


04  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

Es  seheint  diese  Art  in  die  Nahe  der  bei  uns  lebenden  Vanessa  Levana  zu 
gehoren.  Sie  ist  kleiner  als  diese,  indem  der  Vorderflugel  von  seiner  Basis  bis 
znr  Spitze  nur  6%"'  misst.  Der  Schmetterling  liegt  auf  der  rechten  Seite,  wobei 
der  linke  Hinterfliigel  den  linken  Vorderflugel  vollig  bis  auf  die  Spitze  und  einen 
Theil  des  Aussenrandes  deckt.  Von  diesen  Fliigeln  ist  daher  nur  die  Unterseite 
sichtbar.  Der  rechte  Vorderflugel  ist  raehr  vorgeschoben  und  daher  ein  grosser 
Tbeil  seiner  Oberseite  sichtbar. 

Die  Flugel  sind  im  Allgemeinen  gut  erhalten  und  scheinen  am  Aussenrande 
an  einigen  [13]  Stellen  sehwach  ausgerandet  gewesen  zu  seyn.  Sie  zeigen  auf 
der  Grundfarbe  grossere,  undeutlich  schwarze  und  viele  weisse  Flecken  von  ver- 
schiedener  Grosse.  Auf  den  Vorderflugeln  zeichnen  sich  ein  grosserer  weisser 
Flecken,  etwa  ein  Drittel  von  der  Spitze  entfernt  und  nach  dem  Vorderrande 
hinzielend,  sowie  drei  weisse  Fleckchen  aus,  die  in  einer  Reihe  in  der  Nahe  des 
Aussenrandes  stehen.  Auf  den  Hinterflugeln,  etwa  ein  Drittel  vom  Aussenrand 
entfernt,  bilden  sechs  weisse  Fleckchen  eine  Querreihe.  Es  ist  nicht  unwahrschein- 
lich,  dass  die  Grundfarbe  der  Fliigel  im  Leben  braun  oder  rothbraun  war,  und  man 
glaubt  sogar  noch  einen  schwachen  Schimmer  von  dieser  Farbe  wahrzunehmen. 

Der  Kopf  ist  etwas  zerdruckt  und  zeigt  zwei  ziemlich  lange,  zugespitzte,  in 
die  Hohe  gerichtete  Taster,  von  denen  der  eine  vom  Kopf  getrennt  liegt.  Oben 
am  Kopf  ist  noch  ein  Auge  und  unten  die  in  einen  Bogen  aufgerollte  Zunge 
sichtbar.  Die  Brust  ist  undeutlich,  der  Hinterleib  fast  ganz  durch  die  Flugel 
gedeckt,  und  von  den  Beinen  sind  nur  Bruchstucke  vorhanden. 

Dark  brown  or  blackish  with  light  markings.  On  the  upper  half  of  the  fore 
wing  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  12),  both  above  and  below,  the  following  markings  are  found: 
a  small  quadrate  spot  on  the  costal  border  at  the  extremity  of  the  costal  fold; 
depending  from  the  costal  border  between  the  tips  of  the  second  and  third  superior 
subcostal  nervures  a  confluent  series  of  spots  extending  to  the  cell  at  right  angles 
to  the  costal  margin,  narrowing  a  little  in  passing  downward;  and  midway  between 
this  and  the  outer  border,  in  the  upper  two  subcostal  interspaces  opening  on  the 
outer  border,  a  small  round  spot;  probably  similar  spots  belong  in  some  of  the 
interspaces  below.  On  the  under  surface  of  the  hind  wings  there  is  a  submarginal 
series  of  three  small  spots  along  the  costa  at  equal  distances  apart,  the  central 
one  near  the  middle  of  the  costa,  and  the  basal  one  nearly  midway  between  it  and 
the  base  of  the  wing;  there  is  also  a  larger  spot  near  the  tip  of  the  cell  and  a 
second  smaller  one  a  little  below  and  beyond  it;  also  a  submarginal  series  of  spots 
as  large  as  that  in  the  cell  parallel  to  the  outer  border,  at  about  an  interspace's 


THA^ATITES    VETULA.  65 

distance  from  it,  one  in  each  interspace.    Length  of  fore  wing,  14mm-;  length  of 
hind  wing,  13'65mm  ;  extreme  breadth  of  hind  wing,  ll-25mn1-. 

The  single  fossil  represented  by  von  Heyden  under  the  name  of  Vanessa  vetula, 
is  preserved  on  a  greasy,  dark  brown,  thin  and  exceedingly  fragile  sheet  of  "brown 
coal,"  and  is  likely  to  become  so  affected  by  weathering  as  to  be  almost  or  quite 
indistinguishable  in  the  course  of  time.  Indeed  it  is  excessively  obscure  at  the 
present  time,  and  no  fossil  object  I  have  ever  studied  has  proved  so  difficult  to  de- 
cipher as  this.  It  represents  an  insect  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  12)  lying  upon  its  side  in  a 
somewhat  natural  attitude  (compare  fig.  11),  so  that  one  can  see  the  whole  of  the 
under  surface  of  the  left  hind  wing,  the  costal  quarter  of  the  under  surface  of  the 
left  fore  wing,  and  a  little  more  than  a  quarter  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  right 
fore  wing,  also  of  the  costal  area;  the  thorax  and  head  with  the  eyes,  the  denuded 
palpi,  the  partially  unrolled  tongue  and  fragments  of  the  legs  in  a  confused  medley 
may  also  be  seen,  but  there  is  no  trace  of  the  antennae,  nor  of  the  right  hind  wing 
(nor  of  the  abdomen?).  The  left  hind  wing  has  an  immaterial  part  of  its  outer 
border  removed,  and  a  small  portion  of  the  outer  border  of  the  left  fore  wing  is 
also  wanting,  but  the  corresponding  portion  of  the  right  fore  wing  is  present. 
The  markings  can  only  be  made  out  by  extreme  care,  and  a  very  meagre  portion 
of  the  neuration,  especially  toward  the  borders  of  the  wings,  by  great  patience 
and  the  closest  examination ;  but  most  of  what  can  be  seen  of  the  neuration  adds 
but  very  little  to  our  actual  knowledge  of  the  animal;  it  simply  adds  its  testimony 
in  the  same  direction  as  other  features  of  the  object. 

The  illustration  of  von  Heyden  (PL  III,  fig.  16)  is  faulty  in  several  particulars, 
but  this  is  not  surprising  when  we  consider  the  excessively  obscure  nature  of  the 
fossil;  it  represents  the  insect  as  if  the  under  surface  of  both  wings  of  one  side 
were  seen,  the  fore  wing  concealing  a  portion  of  the  hind;  a  break  in  the  stone  is 
taken  for  the  outline  of  the  wing  (just  above  the  extremity  of  the  costal  border  of 
the  hind  wing)  and  the  markings  of  the  two  front  wings  are  blended  into  one;  an 
abdomen  is  represented  and  above  it  an  outline  of  the  inner  border  of  the  hind 
wing.  The  fossil  has  at  first  sight  this  appearance,  but  I  think  this  view  is  errone- 
ous, although  on  this  point  one  may  not  speak  with  confidence,  and  it  is  compara- 


66  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

lively  unimportant.  It  is  remarkable,  however,  that  von  Heyden,  in  his  description, 
takes  the  same  view  of  it  as  I  have  done.  I  have  not  attempted  to  give  the  shading 
of  the  darker  parts  of  the  wing,  partly  from  its  obscure  nature,  partly  from  a 
doubt  whether  they  really  represent  the  original  markings  of  the  insect;  for  the 
basal  half  of  the  under  surface  of  the  hind  wings,  where  most  of  the  dark  mot- 
tling in  Von  Heyden's  figure  occurs,  is  usually  devoid  of  any  such  variegation  in 
the  insects  of  this  group;  they  are  almost  always  of  a  uniform  grayish  or  brownish 
hue.  Von  Heyden's  figure  does  not  show  the  division  of  the  palpal  joints. 
Tertiaries  of  Rott,  Rhenish  Provinces  of  Germany.  British  Museum. 


URBICOLJE  -  A.STYCI. 
1'AMPIIILITES  SCUDDKK. 

This  genus  belongs  to  the  Astyci  and  falls  in  the  neighborhood  of  Pansydia 
and  Carystus,  if  we  take  as  an  illustration  of  the  latter  group  the  Ilesperia  Lucasii 
of  Fabricius.  The  former  genus  has  a  male  with  a  discal  dash,  the  latter  without 
one.  As  the  fossil  species  is  represented  by  a  single  fore  wing  of  what  is  probably 
a  female,  it  is  impossible  to  say  into  which  category  it  would  fall.  The  costal  border 
(PL  III,  fig.  18)  is  almost  exactly  straight  throughout;  next  the  base,  however,  it  is 
arched  a  little  and  it  slopes  slightly  downward  on  the  apical  fifth  to  a  rather  sharply 
defined  apex;  the  outer  margin  is  gently  and  almost  regularly  convex,  but  with  its 
greatest  convexity  a  little  above  the  middle,  and  at  its  upper  end  is  at  right  angles 
to  the  tip  of  the  costal  margin ;  the  lower  angle  is  rounded  off  and  the  inner  mar- 
gin is  slightly  sinuous,  being  hollowed  in  the  middle ;  the  wing  is  slightly  more  than 
twice  as  long  as  broad.  In  all  these  respects  it  agrees  far  better  with  Pansydia 
(PL  III,  fig.  15)  than  with  Carystus  (PL  III,  fig.  13).  Indeed,  excepting  in  the 
greater  length  of  the  wing  and  the  lack  of  any  change  of  direction  in  the  outer 
border  at  the  tip  of  the  lowest  median  nervule,  the  form  of  the  wing  scarcely  dif- 
fers from  that  of  Pansydia  Mesogramma. 

In  neuration  it  agrees  better  with  Pansydia  than  with  Carystus.  Poey's  fig- 
ure, which  for  want  of  better  material  I  have  been  forced  to  copy  in  illustration,  is 


PAMPHILITES.  67 

not  executed  with  sufficient  care,  for  of  the  first  and  second  superior  subcostal 
nervules  he  has  made  but  one.  The  principal  difference  between  Pansydia  and  the 
fossil  genus  is  in  the  fourth  superior  subcostal  nervule;  in  Pansydiathis  terminates 
upon  the  costal  border  just  before  the  apex  of  the  wing,  while  in  Pamphilites  it 
terminates  on  the  outer  border  just  below  the  apex  of  the  wing,  bringing  the  latter 
into  a  different  interspace  in  the  two  genera.  From  Cai'ystus  it  differs,  not  only 
in  having  a  proportionally  shorter  cell,  but  in  the  same  point  as  that  in  which  it 
is  distinguishable  from  Pansydia;  and  further  in  the  uppermost  median  nervule, 
which  in  Carystus  is  thrown  off  abruptly  from  the  nervure  just  beyond  its  second 
divarication  and  which,  by  curving  strongly,  makes  the  upper  median  interspace 
of  nearly  equal  width  throughout;  while  in  Pamphilites,  the  nervule  parts  gently 
from  the  nervure  like  the  others,  and  at  some  distance  beyond  its  second  divari- 
cation, passing  in  a  regular  curved  line  to  the  outer  border,  and  causing  the  upper 
median  interspace  to  increase  in  breadth  throughout  the  whole  of  its  basal  half. 

In  the  disposition  of  its  spots,  Pamphilites  (PI.  Ill,  figs.  14,  17)  agrees  per- 
haps better  with  Carystus  (PI.  Ill,  fig.  19)  than  with  Fansydia  (PL  III,  fig.  15) . 
This  is  especially  true  of  the  large  spots  in  the  cell  and  in  the  lower  two  median 
interspaces;  although  in  Carystus  the  spots  of  the  median  interspaces  are  further 
removed  from  the  base  than  in  Pamphilites,  while  the  opposite  is  true  of  the  spot 
surmounting  the  submedian  nervure;  the  submarginal  spots  beyond  the  cell  of 
Pamphilites  are  wanting  in  Carystus,  and  the  latter  genus  has  but  two  of  the  three 
subcostal  spots  of  Pamphilites.  The  spots  of  Pansydia  are  smaller  and  far  less 
conspicuous  than  in  Pamphilites,  that  of  the  cell  being  reduced  almost  to  a  dot; 
the  median  spots  are  however  large,  though  removed  farther  from  the  base,  as  in 
Carystus;  there  is  also  a  small  spot  in  the  upper  median  interspace,  but  further 
from  the  margin  than  in  Pamphilites  and  unaccompanied  by  any  spot  in  the 
interspace  beyond  the  cell;  as  in  Carystus,  the  spot  surmounting  the  submedian 
nervure  is  further  from  the  outer  margin  than  in  Pamphilites,  but  the  subcostal 
spots  accord  very  well  with  those  of  the  fossil. 

By  these  considerations  it  would  appear  that  Pansydia  is  to  be  placed  between 
Carystus  and  Pamphilites,  the  latter  being  more  nearly  related  to  Pansydia  than 


0»  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

to  Carystus,  leading  us  to  believe  it  more  probable  that  we  are  dealing  with  a 
female,  whose  partner  was  possessed  of  the  ornament  of  a  discal  dash  of  spe- 
cialized scales.  The  species  of  Pansydia  are  smaller  than  those  of  most  of  the 
neighboring  genera,  but  PampJiilites  abdita  is  somewhat  smaller  even  than  Pan- 
sydia mesogramma. 


PAMPHILITES   ABDITA   SCUDDKR. 
PI.  Ill,  figs.  14,  17,  18. 

Upon  a  dark,  uniform,  probably  blackish  brown  ground,  the  fore  wing  of  this 
butterfly  was  provided  (in  the  female?)  with  three  large  spots,  three  small  spots, 
and  two  dots  of  a  vitreous  appearance,  besides  other  light  streaks  or  powdery 
spots.  The  three  large  spots  are  probably  peculiar,  in  their  present  extent,  to  the 
female;  they  consist  (PI.  Ill,  figs.  14,  17,)  of  one  spot  in  the  cell  and  one  in  each 
of  the  lower  median  interspaces;  the  cellular  spot  crosses  the  cell,  is  sublunato- 
quadrate,  its  exterior  edge  concave,  extending  from  the  origin  of  the  third  supe- 
rior subcostal  nervule  to  just  beyond  the  second  divarication  of  the  median  nervure, 
being  directed  in  the  upper  half  of  its  course  toward  the  base  of  the  second 
median  nervule;  the  spot  is  narrower  above  than  below,  the  upper  half  having  an 
outward  as  well  as  upward  inclination,  the  lower  margin  straight,  the  interior 
margin  subsinuate,  convex,  reaching  from  midway  between  the  base  of  the  first 
and  second  superior  subcostal  nervules  to  just  beyond  the  middle  of  the  space 
between  the  base  of  the  first  and  second  median  nervules.  The  spot  in  the  lowest 
median  interspace  is  nearly  or  quite  as  large  as  the  previous,  but  longitudinal 
instead  of  transverse,  and  as  broad  as  the  interspace;  excepting  for  a  little  spur 
above  on  the  inner  side,  which  runs  a  little  way  toward  the  base,  the  centre  of  the 
spot  would  lie  just  below  the  second  divarication  of  the  median  nervure,  but  by 
means  of  this  slight  spur  the  spot  extends  baseward  half  way  from  the  second 
to  the  first  divarication  of  the  median  nervure ;  at  the  outer  extremity  the  spot 
terminates  squarely  and  next  the  lowest  median  nervule  is  two-sevenths  the  length 
of  that  vein.  The  spot  in  the  middle  median  interspace  is  much  smaller,  subtri- 
angular,  filling  the  whole  breadth  of  the  interspace,  half  as  long  again  as  broad, 


PAMPHILITES    ABDITA.  69 

its  inner  tapering  extremity  situated  just  below  the  final  divarication  of  the  median 
nervure.  The  three  small  spots  in  the  lower  three  subcostal  nervules  are  seated 
one  above  the  other,  their  inner  margins  on  a  line  and  nearly  at  right  angles  to  the 
costal  margin;  they  are  quadrate  and  increase  slightly  in  size  below,  the  upper  one 
being  square,  the  lower  longitudinally  oblong;  they  are  situated  midway  between 
the  discoidal  spot  and  the  apex  of  the  wing.  The  two  dots  are  situated  one  just 
above  the  other  in  the  middle  of  the  upper  median  and  subcosto-median  inter- 
spaces, midway  between  the  spot  in  the  lower  subcostal  interspace  and  the  outer 
border;  the  lower  is  slightly  the  larger,  but  not  more  than  one-fourth  the  size  of 
the  uppermost  subcostal  spot.  Seated  upon  the  submedian  nervure,  its  centre 
below  the  outer  edge  of  the  lower  median  spot,  is  a  pale,  powdery  spot,  twice  as 
long  as  broad  and  about  one-third  the  width  of  the  interspace;  outwardly  it 
merges  into  the  ground  color;  there  are  other  pale  spaces  hi  the  wing,  looking 
somewhat  as  if  due  to  attrition;  especially  in  the  cell  on  either  side  of  the  discoidal 
spot,  at  the  extreme  base  of  the  lower  median  interspace,  and  along  the  lower  bor- 
der of  the  medio-submedian  interspace.  Length  of  wing,  15'75mm-,  length  of  inner 
border,  9'5mm<;  breadth  of  wing  across  the  middle,  7'25mm-,  breadth  of  whig  across 
outer  margin,  9'5mm-. 

Tertiaries  of  Aix,  Provence,  France.    Museum  of  the  City  of  Marseilles. 

MEMOIRS   A.    A.    A.    8.  11 


70  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 


COMPARATIVE  AGE  OF  FOSSIL  BUTTERFLIES. 


Alt  the  well  determined  fossil  butterflies  come  from  one  of  three  localities, 
Aix,  Rott  and  Radoboj,  all  belonging  to  the  tertiaries  of  Europe.  Others  are 
reported,  as  will  be  seen  further  on,  to  have  been  found  in  Prussian  amber;  and  it 
is  not  in  the  least  improbable  that  they  have  been  or  may  be.  These  would  be  of 
about  the  same  age  as  the  oldest  of  the  others,  those  of  Aix.  Of  the  Aix  fossils, 
which  belong  to  the  upper  Eocene,  or  to  speak  more  definitely,  the  Ligurian, 
Neorinopis  sepulta,  Lethites  ffeynesii,  Thaites  Buminiana  and  Pampliilites  abdita 
(the  first  described  by  Boisduval,  the  rest  by  myself)  come  from  the  calcareous 
marls  of  the  gypsum  quarries,  the  only  bed  in  which  insects  had  been  found  when 
visited  by  Messrs.  Murchison  and  Lyell  in  1829.  Collates  Proserpina,  however, 
described  here  for  the  first  time,  was  taken  from  strata  beneath  these,  and  there- 
fore, at  least  until  we  have  more  precise  knowledge  concerning  the  remains  of 
butterfly  larvae  in  amber,  may  be  considered  the  oldest  known  butterfly.  Count 
de  Saporta  writes  me  concerning  this  fossil,  the  discovery  of  which  is  due  to  him, 
as  follows: — "Cette  empreinte  ne  provient  pas  des  platrieres  meme,  c'est  a  dire  des 
galeries  qui  servent  a  1'exploitation  du  Gypse;  mais  d'une  assise  ou  groupe  de 

couches  immediatement  inferieure.     Vous  verrez  cette  provenance  indiquee  pour 

• 

un  grand  nombre  de  mes  especes;  dans  ce  cas,  elles  ne  proviennent  par  des  ouvriers 
mais  je  les  ai  recueillies  moi  meme  en  suivant  les  lits  sur  les  points  ou  ils  affleurcnt 
au  dehors." 

The  next  in  order,  approaching  recent  times,  are  the  lignite  beds  of  Rott  in 
the  basin  of  the  Rhine,  which  belong  to  the  Aquitanian  or  the  upper  part  of  the 
lower  Miocene.  Thanatites  vetula  (described  by  Hayden)  is  the  only  butterfly 
known  from  this  division  of  the  Tertiaries. 

The  most  recent  beds  containing  fossil  butterflies  are  the  lacustrine  deposits 
of  Radoboj  in  Croatia,  Austria.  These  belong  to  the  Mayencian  or  lower  portion 
of  the  middle  Miocene,  and  have  furnished  Eugonia  atava,  Mylotkrites  Pluto, 


PROBABLE   FOOD-PLANTS   OF   TERTIARY   CATERPILLARS.  71 

another  fragment  possibly  referable  to  Mylothrites,  and  Pontia  Freyeri,  all  de- 
scribed by  Heer.  Two  of  the  genera  of  these  more  recent  beds  contain  repre- 
sentatives now  living  in  the  same  region ;  but  none  of  the  older  beds  have  yet 
furnished  butterflies  referable  to  modern  genera. 

It  is  rather  extraordinary  that  the  upper  Miocene  beds  of  CEningen,  Bavaria, 
which,  if  we  except  the  amber,  have  furnished  almost  more  insects  than  all  the 
other  beds  of  fossil  insects  of  the  world  together,  and  which  are  more  recent  than 
any  of  those  in  which  butterflies  have  been  found,  have  yielded  scarcely  any  re- 
mains of  Lepidoptera  (one  species)  and  none  whatever  of  butterflies. 


PROBABLE  FOOD-PLANTS  OF  TERTIARY  CATERPILLARS. 


Of  the  five  butterflies  from  Aix,  two  belong  to  the  Oreades  (Neorinopis 
sepulta  and  Lethites  Reynesii)  the  food  of  whose  caterpillars  at  the  present  epoch 
has  invariably  been  found  to  be  either  Granlineee  or,  occasionally,  Cyperacese. 
Both  of  these  groups  are  present  in  the  deposits  of  Aix,  the  former  being  repre- 
sented by  ten  species  of  Poacites,  and  the  latter  by  a  Cyperites;1  and  it  is 
in  the  highest  degree  probable  that  these  formed  the  sustenance  of  the  Oreades 
of  that  epoch.  A  third  species  (Pampliilites  dbdfta)  belongs  to  the  Astyci,  a  group 
whose  principal  food  is  the  same  family  of  plants,  Graminese,  although  some 
species  have  been  found  also  upon  Althea,  Malva  and  Lavatera  (Malvaceae) ,  Tri- 
folium,  Coronilla  and  PLespedeza  (Leguminosaj),  Plantago  (Plantaginacea3),  and 
Maranta  (Scitaminefo) .  Of  these  families  the  Leguminosa3  only  are  found  at 
Aix,  and  in  abundance,  even  including  a  plant  doubtfully  referred  to  Trifolium. 
It  is,  however,  far  more  probable  that  Pamphilites  lived  upon  grasses;  "and  it  is 
not  a  little  strange  that  the  Graminea?,  the  probable  food-plants  of  three  of  the 
five  butterflies  known  from  that  fauna,  were  among  the  rarest  of  the  plants;  that 
is,  their  proportion  to  the  whole  phanerogamic  flora  was  about  the  same  as  now 

'  Saporta.    Revision  cle  la  flore  (les  gypscs  d'Aix.    Ann.  Sc.  Nat.  [5]  Bot.,  xv,  284. 


72  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

obtains  in  New  Guinea  or.  New  Grenada,  countries  the  least  favored  in  this 
respect.1  The  proportion  of  the  Gramineae  and  CyperaceaB  to  the  whole  of  the 
Phanerogamia  in  Europe  of  to-day  is,  probably,  about  the  same  as  in  the  United 
States  (more  than  seventeen  per  cent.)  and  much  greater  than  in  the  East  Indies. 
The  limited  number  of  known  fossil  butterflies  does  not  give  great  weight  to  any 
general  considerations  based  upon  them,  but  it  may  at  least  be  worth  while  to 
remark  that  Aix,  in  Eocene  times,  had,  in  the  point  referred  to,  an  assemblage  of 
plants  much  better  comparable  with  the  East  Indian  flora  of  the  present  day  than 
with  the  modern  European  flora,  the  proportion  of  known  Graminese,  etc.,  to  the 
Phauerogamia  being  five  per  cent.,  while  the  proportion  of  its  grass-feeding  but- 
terflies to  the  other  rhopalocerous  Lepidoptera  is  sixty  per  cent.  To  judge  simply 
by  the  catalogue  of  the  East  India  Museum,  the  only  authority  upon  East  Indian 
butterflies  extant,  the  present  proportion  of  gramnivorous  to  non-gramnivorous 
butterflies  is  as  1  :  5'2,  while  in  Europe  it  is  as  1  :  3.  Eocene  Aix,  then,  had  a 
European  proportion  of  Satyrids,  composed,  as  will  be  seen,  of  species  of  an  In- 
dian aspect,  feeding  upon  plants  essentially  temperate,  but,  as  in  tropical  countries, 
numerically  unimportant. 

The-  Danai,  to  which  the  fourth  species  from  Aix  (  Collates  Proserpina)  belongs, 
feed  almost  exclusively  upon  Leguminosa3,  and  these  have  recently  been  found  in 
great  abundance  at  Aix.  Count  de  Saporta  enumerates  one  species  each  of  ?  Tri- 
folium,  Caragana,  Ervites,  Sophora,  Micropodium,  Cercis  and  Gleditschia,  two  of 
Phaseolites  and  six  of  Caesalpmites,  belonging  to  the  Papilionaceae,  besides  nine 
Acacias  and  a  Mimosa  of  the  Mimosese,  and  four  species  of  uncertain  relations; 
making  a  series  larger  than  he  has  found  in  any  other  family.2 

Of  these,  two  species  of  Phaseolites,  one  of  Sophora,  eight  of  Acacia  and  two 
of  Leguminosites  are  specified  as  coming  from  the  lower  beds,  where  Coliates 
itself  is  found.  But  Coliates  is  most  closely  allied,  as  we  have  said,  to  a  group  of 
Indian  forms,  and  the  food  plants  of  their  caterpillars  is  almost  wholly  unknown. 

i"La  proportion  des  Gramlnces  rclntivement  ail  total  des  florcs  intertropicalesacliiellesdel'aneienetdu  nouveau  continent, 

Phanerogatncs,  qui  est  dc  4-5  sur  100,  est  en  rapport  avec  les  min-  mais  elles  attcignent  line  proportion  de  13  pour  100,  pour  1'en- 

ima  relatifs  de  cette  famille,  tels  qu'on  les  observe  a  la  Nouvelle-  semble  des  rhanerogames,  proportion  parfaitement  en  rapport 

Guin^e  et  a  la  Nouvelle-Grenade."  Saporta.  loc.  cit.,  292.  avec  celle  de  12  snr  100  qui  est  frequcnte,  selon  M.  de  Candolle, 

'"Dans  la  flore  des  gypses  d'Aix.  non-seiilement  les  L4gu-  dans  ccrtaines  regions  chaudes.  tclles  qne  Timor,  le  Congo,  etc." 

mineuses  occnpent  le  premier  rang,  comme  dans  la  plupart  des  Saporta,  loc.  cit.,  2ft2. 


PROBABLE   FOOD-PLANTS   OF   TERTIARY   CATERPILLARS.  73 

A  species  of  Delias,  however,  to  which  genus  Collates  has  been  specially  compared, 
is  stated  to  feed,  not  upon  a  leguminous  plant,  but  upon  Dioscorea,  one  of  the  Yam 
family;  and  the  presence  in  Aix  of  a  species  of  a  closely  allied  group,  Smilax  rotun- 
diloba  Sap.,  is  announced  by  Count  de  Saporta.  It  is  not  improbable,  therefore, 
that  Smilax  rotundiloba  was  the  food-plant  of  the  larva  of  Collates  Proserpina.1 
The  fifth  Aix  species  is  Thaites  Ruminiana.  It  is  most  nearly  allied  to  Thais 
of  the  present  day,  though  it  bears  certain  relations,  as  we  have  seen,  to  neighbor- 
ing genera.  Thais  feeds  principally  at  least  upon  Aristolochia2  and  so,  too,  do 
Ornithoptera,  Archon  and  some  genera  of  swallow-tails;  indeed,  this  seems  to  be 
a  favorite  food-plant  with  insects  of  this  character.  Parnassius,  however,  feeds  on 
Sedum,  Telephium,  Sempervivum  and  Corydalis,  especially  on  the  first-named,  one 
of  the  Crassulacese ;  but  nothing  very  closely  allied  to  this  is  specified  by  Sa- 
porta from  Aix;  neither,  also  is  Aristolochia,  but  it  has  been  found  not  only  in 
Radoboj 3  in  the  Mayencian,  but  also,  according  to  Heer,  at  Hohe  Rhonen  in  Swit- 
zerland, which  belongs  to  the  Aquitanian,  and  has  at  least  one  plant  (Laurus  pri- 
migenia  Ung.)  in  common  with  Aix.  It  seems,  therefore,  highly  probable  that 
either  Aristolochia  nervosa  Heer,  A.  Aesculapi  Heer,  or  a  distinct  species  of  the 
genus  will  yet  be  discovered  at  Aix,4  and  may  then  be  considered,  as  with  little 
question,  the  food-plant  of  Thaites  Ruminiana.  If  it  be  deemed  hazardous  to  ven- 
ture such  an  opinion,  attention  is  called  to  the  two  following  passages;  the  first  is 
from  the  introduction  to  Heer's  paper  on  the  fossil  insects  of  Aix:5  "Dass  indessen 
auch  AVeiden  oder  Pappeln  [Populus]  sich  vorhanden,  durften  der  Bythoscopus 
muscarius  und  die  Aphrophora  spumifera  [Homoptera]  anzeigen,  deren  analoge 
Icbende  Arten  besonders  auf  den  Blattern  und  Zweigen  dieser  Baume  sich  umher- 
treiben."  The  second  is  a  note  in  the  errata  to  the  translation  of  Heer's  work  on 
the  Climate  and  Vegetation  of  the  Tertiaries6  by  Gaudin:  "Le  Poacites  ciliatus 

1  Since  this  was  written,  Count  Saporta  writes  me :  ''Le  genre  ne  saurait  dtre  mise  en  question,  depuis  qne  nous  avons  entre  les 

Smilax  est  nn  des  genres  tcrtiaires  les  plus  frequents.  J'ai  anssi  mains  tine  superue  empreinte  de  Radoboj  (Aristolochia  vemista 

signalcS  dans  le  dc§pot  voisin  de  St.  Zacharie  ((Stage  Tongrien  infc-  Sap.),  qui  denote  line  forme  voisine  des  Arintoloches  &  feuilles 

rienrc  [and  therefore  but  slightlymore  recent])  unc  fenille  qui  m'a  persiftantes  et  demi-coriaces,  comme  VA.reticulata  Nutt.  de  Vir- 

paru  devoir  se  ranger  parmi  les  Dioscorees."  ginie."  Saporta,  loc.  cit.,  342-3. 

»  An  old  writer  in  Fuessly's  Magazin,  writing  from  Italy,  says  <In  a  recent  letter  from  Count  Saporta  he  remarks :  "  Relative- 

that  Thais  feeds  in  tliat  country  upon  Qucrcus.  Five  species  of  nient  au  Tluiites  Jiuminiana,  je  n'ai  pas  encore  decouvert  a  Aix  de 

Quercus  are  known  from  Aix,  but  the  statement  in  Fuessly'8  Mag-  vestiges  dn  genre  Aristolochin,  mais  ce  genre  devait  y  exitter." 

azin  has  never,  to  my  knowledge,  been  continued.  B  Vierteljahrssrhrilt  naturf.  Gescllsch.  Zurich,  i.  12. 1856. 

*  "  Nous  n'aTons  pas  encore  rencomrt  d'Aristolocbia  dans  les  « Ilecherches  sur  le  Climat  et  In  Vegetation  du  pays  tcrtiaire, 

gypses  d'Aix;  mais  1'existenee  du  genre  dans  le  tertlaire  moyen  4to,  1861. 


74  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

Sap.  n'est  pas  une  glume  de  Graminec,  mais  plutot  une  bractee  cilice  cle  Peuplier. 
.  .  .  Elle  doit  etre  probablemcnt  rapprochee  d'une  empreinte  .  .  .  prove- 
nant  des  memes  couches  et  qui  se  rapporte  egalement  au  genre  Populus.  Les 
organes  voisins  de  ceux  du  Pop.  Euphratica  Oliv.  dans  la  nature  actuelle  denotent 
1'existence,  a  1'epoque  des  gypses  d'Aix,  d'une  espece  de  Peuplier  dont  les  feuilles 
sont  encore  inconnues,  comme  celles  de  1'Alnus  cryptophylla  Sap.,  mais  que 
M.  Heer  avait  indique  d'avance,  en  se  fondant  sur  1'observation  d'un  insecte  fossile, 
le  Bythoscopus  muscarius!  Nouvelle  preuve  du  secours  que  peuvent  se  preter  en 
paleontologie  les  diverses  branches  de  1'histoire  naturelle." 

The  single  species  from  Rott,  Thanatites  vetula,  is  closely  allied  to  the  mod- 
ern Thanaos,  whose  species  are  numerous  and  feed  upon  a  variety  of  plants, 
belonging  to  the  families  Cruciferse,  Leguminosse,  Umbelliferge,  Cupuliferaa,  Be- 
tulaceas  and  Salicaceae.  Most  of  the  genera  belonging  to  its  tribe  feed  upon 
Leguminosa?,  and  these  are  the  usual  food  plants  of  the  species  Thanaos  also; 
whence  it  is  probable  that  Thanatites  had  a  similar  taste.  JSTow  in  the  very  beds 
of  Rott,  in  which  this  butterfly  was  found,  occur  species  of  Betula,  Salix  and 
Populus,  with  numerous  Querci  and  no  less  than  eleven  genera  of  Lcguminosae, 
mostly  belonging  to  the  Papilionaceae ;  they  are  Templetonia  (1  species),  Robinia 
(2),  Colutea  (1),  Phaseolites  (2),  Sphinctolobium  (1),  Dalbergia  (1),  Ha3matoxy- 
lon  (2),  Gleditschia  (2),  Cassia  (3),  Ceratonia  (1),  and  Acacia  (2).  It  is  proba- 
bly among  these,  and  perhaps  with  greatest  probability  among  the  species  of 
Hsematoxylon  and  Gleditschia,  that  the  food  plant  of  Thanatites  must  be  sought. 
Should  leaves  be  found,  in  which  a  portion  is  bent  over  as  if  to  form  a  nest,  they 
should  be  submitted  to  the  scrutiny  of  some  one  familiar  with  the  larval  habita- 
tions of  Thanaos  Tages;  and  should  traces  of  silken  fastenings  be  found  in  con- 
nection with  them,  or  the  marks  of  nibbling  at  the  edges,  the  plant  to  which  they 
belong  may  be  considered  with  strong  probability  as  the  food  of  Thanatites  vetula. 

The  only  butterfly  found  at  Radoboj  belonging  to  an  extinct  genus  is  Mylo- 
thrites  Pluto,  and  this  is  a  member  of  the  same  general  group  as  Collates,  and 
feeds  probably  upon  Leguminosse;  for  it  is  not  so  closely  allied  to  Delias  as  Coll- 
ates is,  but  is  more  nearly  related  to  Hebomoia,  one  of  whose  species,  found  in  the 


PROBABLE   FOOD-PLANTS   OF   TERTIARY   CATERPILLARS.  75 

East  Indias,  feeds  upon  Capparis.1  One  species  of  Phaseolites,  one  of  Sophora 
and  four  of  Cassia,  namely:  C.  liyberborea  Ung.,  C.  phaseolites  Ung.,  C.  lignitum 
Ung.,  and  C.  ambigua  Ung.,  are  recorded  from  Radoboj,  and  as  Cassia  is  a  favorite 
food  plant  among  the  larger  species  of  Danai  at  the  present  day,  we  may  fairly 
presume  one  of  these  Cassia)  to  have  afforded  nourishment  to  MylotTirites  Pluto. 
Moreover,  no  less  than  thirty-one  species  of  Leguminosse  in  general,  or  between  a. 
ninth  and  a  tenth  of  the  whole  known  flora,  are  given  by  von  Ettingshausen  as 
occurring  in  Radoboj ;  so  that  in  any  case  our  Mylothrites  must  have  found  abun- 
dance of  palatable  food. 

The  food  of  Pontia  Freyeri  is  doubtful.  All  the  living  species  of  the  genus 
so  far  as  known,  feed  upon  Cruciferse;  within  this  family  they  do  not  seem  to  be 
at  all  particular,  making  use  of  a  large  number  of  genera,  but  in  only  a  single 
instance  are  they  known  to  attack  the  leaves  of  a  genus  (Reseda)  belonging  to  an 
adjoining  family.  Cruciferse,  however,  are  excessively  rare  in  the  tertiaries  of 
Europe,  two  species  only  being  recorded,  and  this  from  the  comparatively  recent 
beds  of  CEningen.  This  is  unquestionably  due  simply  to  the  nature  of  the  plants 
themselves,  which  scarcely  could  leave  any  trace  of  their  existence;  the  almost 
complete  absence  of  the  herbaceous  families  of  plants,  even  in  the  later  tertiaries, 
is  doubtless  due  to  this  fact.  The  plants  nearest  related  to  the  Cruciferae  found 
near  the  horizon  of  Pontia  Freyeri  are  a  species  of  Nelumbium  from  Giinzbourg  in 
the  Mayencian,  and  of  Terminalia  (T.  radobojensis  Ung.) — one  of  the  Calyci- 
florse,  from  Radoboj  itself.  Perhaps  in  the  absence  of  better  evidence  we  may 
provisionally  consider  the  latter  to  have  been  the  food  plant  of  P.  Freyeri. 

A  single  Radoboj  species  remains,  Eugonia  atava.  The  recent  species  of 
Eugonia  feed  particularly  on  Salix,  Populus  and  Betula;  also  upon  Ulmus,  and 
occasionally  on  Ribes,  and  even  on  Hippophae.  The  first  three  seem  however  to 
be  their  proper  food ;  and  since  the  tertiaries  of  Radoboj  contain  fossils  of  all  these 
genera,  we  need  look  no  farther.  There  are  specified:  Salix  apollinis  Ung.,  sp., 

>  I  venture  to  give  one  more  extract  from  a  recent  letter  re-  nourissant  de  Capparis.  Lea  Capparis  ont  du  existcr,  mais  leur 

ceiveil  from  Count  Saporta,  although  he  writes :  — "je  vous  ecris  feuilles  sont  difflciles  ii  distinguer  k  cause  de  Pabsence  de  carac- 

n'ayant  sous  les  yeux  ni  mes  livres  ni  mes  collections,  ce  qui  en-  tires  dtffdrentiels ;  leur  forme  et  leur  nervation  pen  visibles  doivent 

levcra  ncceasuiremcnt  un  pen  de  precision  u  quelques-unes  de  mes  les  falre  confondre  avec  boaucoup  d'nutres.  II  me  scmble  pourtunt 

ruponscs."  que  des  Capparis  ont  etc  signals  soit  &  Kadoboj,  soil  a  Hoering 

"II  est  Men  plus  difficile  de  justifler  par  des  exemples  tinis  en  Tyrol,  depOt  un  pcu  plus  anciens  [TougrianJ,  mais  en  1'ab- 

de  la  nature  des  pluntes  la  presence  a  KadoboJ  d'un  insecte  se  seiice  de  mes  livres  je  ne  eaurais  vous  1'afllrmer." 


76  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

Populus  latior  Br.,  P.  mutdbilis  Hecr.,  P.  Heliadum  Ung.,  Betula  Dryadum 
Brongn.  and  B.  prisca  Ett.  Three  species  of  Ulmus  are  also  recorded  from  the 
same  place. 

Excepting  in  a  single  case,  there  is  then  no  difficulty  in  finding,  in  the  veiy 
beds  in  which  the  butterflies  occur,  remains  of  plants,  which  in  all  probability 
served  them  as  food  during  the  lai-val  stage;  and  even  in  this  single  instance,  a 
plant  not  far  removed  from  those  upon  which  species  of  the  genus  now  feed,  occurs 
in  the  same  strata. 


PRESENT  DISTRIBUTION  OF  BUTTERFLIES  MOST  NEARLY 
ALLIED  TO  FOSSIL  SPECIES. 


To  discuss  this  question  propei'ly  we  must  consider  the  butterflies  of  each 
geological  horizon  separately. 

BUTTERFLIES  OP  THE  LIGURIAN  (Upper  Eocene). 

The  nearest  living  ally  of  Neorinopis  sepulta  is,  with  little  doubt,  Neorina 
Lowi,  which,  like  the  other  members  of  the  genus,  is  found  in  the  Indo-Malayan 
region.  The  same  is  strictly  true  of  the  species  of  Zophoessa,  Debis  and  Lethe, 
with  which  we  have  been  obliged  to  compare  this  fossil.  Coelites  has  also  been 
used  in  comparison,  and  most  of  the  species  of  this  group  belong  to  the  same 
region,  although  one  is  described  by  Felder  from  Celebes  on  the  confines  of  the 
Austro-Malayan  region.  "We  have  also  pointed  out  (as  Butler  has  done,  but  in 
incorrect  points)  its  relation  to  Antirrha3a,  a  Brazilian  genus,  but  this  is  too  distant 
to  be  given  much  weight.  The  closest  allies  of  N.  sepulta  are  to  be  found  in  the 
Indo-Malayan  region. 

The  same  is  true,  but  not  to  so  striking  a  degree,  of  Lethites  ReynesiL 
We  have  compared  this  also  to  Debis,  Lethe  and  Neorina,  and  especially  to  the 
two  former;  and  all  three  of  these  genera,  which  are  certainly  its  nearest  allies, 


PRESENT   DISTRIBUTION   OF   ALLIED   SPECIES.  77 

arc  strictly  confined  to  the  Indo-Malayan  region.  It  is,  however,  also  related,  but 
in  a  secondary  degree,  to  Enodia,  Cercyonis  and  Maniola,  which  are  genera  apper- 
taining to  the  north  temperate  zone  of  both  hemispheres. 

Collates  Proserpina  finds  its  nearest  living  representatives  in  the  genus 
Delias,  which  also  is  strictly  confined  to  the  Indo-Malayan  region.  Thyca  and 
Prioneris  are  closely  related,  the  latter  of  which  is  limited  to  the  same  district  and 
the  former  to  the  Indo-Malayan  and  Austro-Malayan  regions. 

Thaites  Ruminiana  is  represented  in  recent  times  by  the  genus  Thais,  which 
is  confined  to  the  Mediterranean  district,  within  which  Aix  lies.  An  allied 
genus,  Archon,  is  also  restricted  to  the  same  region.  Sericinus,  however,  and 
Eurycus,  with  which  we  have  been  obliged  to  compare  it  in  many  points,  are 
found  only  in  the  East,  the  former  in  China,  the  latter  in  Australia;  while  on  the 
other  hand,  Parnassius,  a  genus  it  quite  as  much  resembles,  is  limited  to  alpine 
and  subarctic  regions  of  the  northern  hemisphere. 

The  relations  of  Pamphilites  abdita  are  very  different.  I  have  searched  care- 
fully for  very  closely  allied  forms  among  East  Indian  Urbicolas ;  but,  while  it  doubt- 
less is  not  far  removed  from  some  of  them,  its  more  intimate  relationships  are 
certainly  with  insects  from  tropical  America  and  especially  with  Pansydia  and 
Carystus. 

Three  out  of  the  five  Aix  butterflies,  therefore,  find  their  nearest  living  allies 
in  the  Indo-Malayan  region,  one  is  most  closely  related  to  forms  now  found  in 
tropical  America  and  one  is  at  home  in  its  own  resting  place. 


BUTTERFLIES  OF  THE  AQUITANIAN  (Lower  Miocene). 

Thanatites  vetula  is  the  only  butterfly  yet  found  from  this  horizon,  and  this  is 
closely  related  to  Thanaos,  a  genus  belonging  to  the  north  temperate  zones  of 
both  hemispheres,  but  vastly  more  developed  in  the  new  world,  which  has  at  least 
four  times  as  many  species  as  the  old,  some  of  them  extending  into  the  subtropical 
regions.  The  genera  adjacent  to  Thanaos  are  purely  American,  although  tropical 
or  subtropical,  and  therefore  the  Aquitanian  butterfly  looks  toward  subtropical 
North  America  for  its  relatives  of  the  present  day. 

MEMOIRS   A.    A.    A.    8.  12 


78  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

BUTTERFLIES  OF  THE  MAYENCIAN  (Middle  Miocene). 

Only  a  single  one  of  these  butterflies,  Mylotlirites  Pluto,  belongs  to  an  extinct 
genus.  Its  nearest  living  representatives  are  to  be  looked  for  in  the  genera  Mylo- 
thris  and  Hebomoia,  the  former  of  which  finds  its  highest  development  in  torrid 
Africa,  while  the  latter  is  confined  to  the  Lido-Malayan  and  Austro-Malayan 
i-egions. 

The  other  two  belong  to  modern  genera,  Eugonia  (E.  atava)  and  Pontia  (P. 
Freyeri).  These  two  genera  are  very  similar  in  their  distribution,  spreading,  like 
Thanaos,  above  referred  to,  over  the  north  temperate  regions  of  both  hemispheres. 
Eugonia,  however,  is  represented  equally  in  Europe  and  America,  while  Pontia  is 
considerably  richer  in  species  in  the  Old  World  than  in  the  New;  yet  when  we  look 
into  the  distribution  of  the  neighboring  genera  we  shall  find  a  result  somewhat 
similar  to  the  case  of  Thanaos.  Taking  into  consideration,  in  the  one  case,  the 
present  distribution  of  the  genera  Hypanartia,  Polygonia,  Papilio  and  Hamadryas,1 
and  on  the  other  of  Neophasia,  Tatocheila  and  Leptophobia,  we  shall  find  that  the 
largest  development  of  these  groups  of  genera  has  been  in  the  New  World  rather 
than  in  the  Old,  but  in  those  parts  of  the  New  "World  which  lie  on  the  tropical 
confines  of  the  temperate  zone. 

Two  of  the  more  recent  species  of  fossil  butterflies  are  therefore  at  home 
where  they  are  found,  although  the  present  development  of  the  group  of  genera 
to  which  they  belong  finds  its  fullest  expression  in  America;  while  the  third 
species  follows  most  of  those  from  the  lower  tertiaries  in  seeking  its  allies  of  to- 
day in  the  tropics  of  the  old  world. 

Undoubtedly  the  material  at  our  disposal  is,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  far 
too  meagre  to  present  any  generalities  of  importance,  so  long  as  they  are  unsup- 
ported by  external  proof.  This  aid  we  can  claim  in  considering  the  facts  we  have 
presented  concerning  the  present  distribution  of  the  genera  of  butterflies  most 
nearly  allied  to  those  once  living  in  the  neighborhood  of  Aix.  The  careful  re- 

1 1  use  these  genera  in  the  sense  indicated  in  my  Historical  Sketch  of  generic  names.    Proc.  Am.  Acad.  Arts,  Sci.,  X,  pp.  fll-ifi:',. 


PRESENT   DISTRIBUTION   OF   ALLIED   SPECIES.  79 

searches  of  Count  Saporta  upon  the  rich  flora  of  this  region  at  the  same  epoch, 
points  to  very  nearly  the  same  results  as  are  here  indicated.  In  his  Examen  des 
flores  tertiaires  de  Provence?  when  writing  of  the  characteristics  of  the  Aix  flora, 
Count  Saporta  says  (page  150)  that  about  one-fifth  of  the  families  represented  in  it 
are  now  strangers  to  Europe;  that  fifty-one  genera  have  an  exotic  and  more  or  less 
tropical  aspect,  and  that  forty  out  of  seventy-four,  or  about  one-half,  if  not  exclu- 
sively tropical,  inhabit  the  warmer  parts  of  southern  regions,  or,  in  small  numbers, 
temperate  extra-European  countries.  The  result  is  still  more  striking,  if  species  are 
considered,  of  which  there  are  at  least  eighty  whose  individual  analogy  with  living 
species  is  sufficiently  clear  to  yield  results  of  great  probability.  "De  ces  especes," 
to  use  his  own  words,  "12  seulement  correspondent  a  des  especes  de  1'Europe 
moyenne,  6  a  des  especes  de  1'Europe  meridionale,  18  en  tout.  Les  especes  cor- 
respondant  a  des  formes  de  1'Amerique  septentrionale  ou  des  regions  dlevees  de 
1'Amerique  tropicale,  sont  au  nombre  de  10;  celles  qui  repondent  a  des  formes 
de  1'Amerique  tropicale  s'elevent  a  9  ...  ;  3  correspondent  a  des  especes  du 
Cap  et  2  a  des  especes  des  iles  Atlantiques  et  de  la  Barbaric;  14  representent  des 
formes  particulieres  aux  Indes  ou  aux  iles  de  PArchipel  indien  et  30,  enfin,  cor- 
respondent a  des  formes  australiennes.  Le  groupe  australien  est  done  le  plus 
considerable,  si  on  les  prend  isolement.  En  les  reunnissant,  on  voit  que  sur  les 
80  et  quelqiies  especes,  28  a  30  seulement  correspondent  a  des  formes  habitant 
aujourd'hui  1'Europe  et  1'Amerique  du  Nord,  en  y  comprenant  meme  les  parties 
meridionales  de  ces  continents;  tandis  que  57  au  moins,  soit  60  en  nombre  rond, 
representent  des  formes  tropicales  ou  subtropicales,  et  dans  ce  nombre  40  au  moins, 
c'est-a-dire  la  moitie  du  nombre  total  se  rapportent  au  Cap,  aux  [151]  Indes  ori- 
entales  ou  a  1'Australie ;  de  sorte  que  le  caractere  dominant  de  cette  flore  est  encore 
Austro-indien,  quoique  dans  une  proportion  deja  decroissante  par  rapport  a  1'age 
precedant." 

This  was  published  in  1861,  and  would  accord  entirely  with  what  we  know  of 
the  butterflies  of  Aix  and  their  nearest  allies.  But  eleven  years  later,  after  study- 
ing the  great  amount  of  material  which  had  meanwhile  accumulated,  Saporta  seems 

1  Heer  et  Gaudiu,  Climat  du  pays  tertiaire,  pp.  133-171. 


80  FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 

to  have  reached  different  conclusions,  for  in  his  Revision  de  la  Flore  des  Gyjjses 
d'Aix  he  states  that  the  affinities  of  the  eocene  vegetation  of  Aix  are  with  south- 
eastern Asia  and  with  Africa,  and  lists  of  analogous  species  are  given,  showing 
that  twenty-two  Aix  species  are  to  be  compared  with  similar  types  in  Asia,  and 
forty  with  those  of  Africa.  So  that  African  forms  much  surpass  the  Asiatic  in  the 
eocene  flora  of  Aix.  This  is  particularly  true,  he  says,  with  reference  to  the  region 
of  Africa  between  Abyssinia  and  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  "C'est  la  evidemment 
le  pays  qui  nous  offre  le  tableau  le  plus  rcssemblant  de  ce  que  devait  etre  le  midi 
de  la  France,  et  c'est  aussi  vers  ce  meme  pays,  ne  1'oublions  pas,  que  nous  avons  ete 
ramenes  par  I'examen  des  autres  elemens  de  la  flore,  specialement  par  la  proportion 
relative  des  deux  grandes  classes  et  des  families  predominantes." l  The  African 
element  seems  to  be  almost  altogether  wanting  in  the  eocene  butterflies,  while  the 
Asiatic  predominates.  In  a  chart  accompanying  Count  Saporta's  paper,  however, 
he  represents  the  present  limits  of  the  principal  genera  noticed  in  the  flora  of  the 
gypsum  of  Aix  by  means  of  colored  lines.  These  lines  cluster  remarkably  along  the 
southern  borders  of  Asia  and  extend  over  a  large  part  of  Africa  and  across  the 
ocean  to  America,  and  particularly  toward  the  southern  United  States  and  the 
Antilles.  Based  on  the  distribution  of  these  principal  genera  alone,  the  flora  of 
the  southern  border  of  Asia  would  show  a  closer  affinity  to  that  of  eocene  Aix 
than  would  that  of  any  equivalent  belt  in  Africa;  and  if  we  may  suppose  that  our 
relics  of  butterflies  represent  the  principal  genera  then  existing,  we  should  trace  a 
somewhat  similar  chart,  but  for  the  entire  absence  of  African  types ;  for  subtropical 
American  types  mingle  with  those  of  the  Mediterranean  district  and  especially  with 
those  of  the  Indo-Malayan  region.  Count  Saporta  shows  in  his  memoir  just 
quoted,  as  before,  that  the  relations  of  the  eocene  flora  of  Aix  to  that  of  the  present 
Mediterranean  basin  were  more  restricted  than  its  relations  to  exotic  types,  but  in 
a  letter  to  me  he  writes  :  "  Ces  affinites  [les  affinites  presumees  de  la  flore  d'Aix] 
sont  d'une  part  avec  la  region  Mediterranean,  de  1'autre  avec  1'Afrique  et  les  Indes 
orientales.  Les  affinites  miocenes  avec  1'Amerique  sont  postericures."  These  later 
American  affinities  are,  however,  foreshadowed  among  the  plants  and  also,  as  we 

1  Ann.  Sc.  Nut.,  [5]  Dot.,  xv,  322. 


PRESENT  DISTRIBUTION   OF   ALLIED    SPECIES.  81 

have  seen,  in  the  Pamphilites  of  eocene  Aix.  They  appear  again,  and  very  de- 
cidedly, when  we  reach  the  miocene  itself,  for  the  affinities  of  the  butterfly  from 
Rott,  and  two  of  the  later  butterflies  from  Radoboj  (where  first  we  meet  with  truly 
modern  types),  are  certainly  with  America  in  the  first  instance,  and  secondarily 
with  the  whole  north  temperate  zone.  "While  the  last  of  the  Radoboj  butterflies 
shows  still  the  remains  of  the  earlier  affinities  of  the  Aix  flora  in  finding  its  nearer 
existing  types  in  Africa  and  southeastern  Asia.  The  results  we  reach  in  consider- 
ing the  Aix  butterflies  are  not,  however,  in  accordance  with  those  drawn  from  the 
insects  of  the  same  locality  by  Professor  Heer.  He  writes:1  — 

"A  Radoboj,  ...  on  rencontre  une  plus  forte  proportion  de  formes 
tropicales  [than  at  CEningen] 

Cette  faune  des  insectes  s'harmonise  parfaitement  avec  le  flore  de  Radoboj  qui, 
ainsi  que  nous  1'avons  prouve  precedement,  a  un  caractere  plus  meridional  que  celle 
d'CEningen;  ce  qui  s'expliquerait  par  sa  plus  grande  anciennete. 

Comme  il  resulte  des  recherches  de  M.  G.  de  Saporta  qu'Aix  appartient  a 
1'etage  ligurien,  on  devrait  s'attendre  a  y  rencontrer  encore  plus  de  formes  tropi- 
cales q'u  a  Radoboj.  C'est  tout  le  contraire,  si  bien  qu'en  m'appuyant  sur  la  faune 
et  en  voyant  que  Aix  avait  10  especes  en  commun  avec  Radoboj  et  4  avec  CEnin- 
gen, j'avais  rapporte  pr(5cedemment  les  terrains  d'Aix  a  la  meme  epoque  que  ceux 
de  Radoboj  et  je  les  avais  ranges  dans  le  Mayencien.  Quatres  genres  ont  disparu. 
.  .  .  Tous  les  autres  genres  vivent  encore  dans  la  Provence,  mais  ce  sont, 
comme  a  CEningen,  presque  tous  des  genres  qui  occupent  une  aire  geographique 
tres  vaste.  .  .  .  On  ne  peut  pas  dire  que  la  faune  des  insectes  d'Aix  contredise 
positivement  1'idee  que  cette  localite  avait  un  climat  sous-tropical,  cas  presque  tous 
les  genres  que  Ton  y  a  observes  jusqu'a  present  s'etendent  jusque  dans  la  zone 
sous-tropicale,  neanmoins  cette  faune  ne  fournit  que  bien  peu  de  preuves  positives, 
tandis  que,  comme  M.  de  Saporta  1'a  demontre,  la  flore  est  riche  en  formes  meridio- 
nales." 

It  should  be  remarked,  however,  that  the  insect  fauna  of  Aix  is  as  yet  little 
known;  that  these  observations  of  the  learned  Zurich  Professor  were  founded  upon 

"Climat  du  pays  terliare,  ed.  Ghudin,  p.  205. 


82  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

a  material  exceedingly  meagre,  in  comparison  with  the  present  vast  accumulations 
of  the  museums  of  Marseilles,  Paris  and  Aix;  we  may  hope  soon  to  become  familiar 
with  them  through  the  careful  researches  of  M.  Oustalet;  and  these  will  show  that 
the  beds  of  Aix  are,  perhaps,  even  richer  in  fossil  insects  than  those  of  CEningen. 

The  American  affinities  of  the  Rott  butterfly  are  in  entire  harmony  with  what 
is  known  of  the  other  insects  of  the  lignites  of  the  Rhine,  where,  says  Professor 
Heer:1 — "On  retrouve  egalement  des  types  americains,  qui  appertiennent  a  1'Ame- 
rique  tropicale  et  sous-tropicale." 

As  to  the  flora  of  Radoboj,  Professor  Heer  writes  in  the  work  just  quoted  (p. 
96) :  "Les  plantes  de  la  zone  temperee  sont  representees  plus  fortement  qu'a 
Sotzka,"  and  of  the  latter  place  he  says  (p.  95),  after  speaking  of  types  of  the 
temperate  zone:  "Cependant  ces  especes  se  trouvent  fort  a  1'arriere-plan  en  com- 
parison des  formes  tropicales  et  subtropicales,  parmi  lesquelles  predominent  .  . 
les  formes  indo-australiens;  neanmoins  les  formes  americains,  loin  d'y  faire  defaut, 
sont  representees  par  des  types  assez  nombreux  et  nettement  accuses."  As  a 
whole,  therefore,  the  affinities  of  the  tertiary  butterflies  seem  to  be  precisely  what 
we  should  have  anticipated  from  a  study  of  the  vegetation  of  the  period. 

"We  close  this  portion  of  our  subject  with  a  tabular  view  of  the  results  we 
have  reached  in  considering  the  affinities  of  the  tertiary  butterflies  with  living 
types,  in  which  the  countries,  where  the  living  allies  of  the  fossil  forms  are  now 
found,  are  placed  in  the  right-hand  columns  according  to  the  degree  of  affinity  of 
their  inhabitants  to  the  tertiary  species  against  which  they  are  placed. 

"Loc.  cit.,  p.  205. 


GENERAL    RESUME. 


83 


Alx  —  Upper  Eocene. 

NAMES  OF  BUTTERFLIES. 

DEGREE  OF  AFFINITIES. 

FIRST  DEGREE. 

SECOND  DEGREE. 

THIRD  DEGREE. 

FOURTH  DEGREE. 

Neorinopis  sepnlta. 

Indo-Malayan. 

Austro  -  Malayan. 

S.  American. 

Lethites  Reynesii. 

Indo  -Malayan. 

North  temperate 
Zone. 

Collates  Proserpina. 

Indo-Malayan. 

Anstro-Malayan. 

Thaites  Ruminlana. 

Mediterranean. 

Chinese  and  Australian. 
Subarctic  and  Alpine. 

Pamphilitcs  abdita. 

Tropical  America. 

Indo-Malaynn. 

Rott-lower 
miocene. 

Thanntitos  vettila. 

Subtropical  North 
America. 

North  temperate 
Zone. 

Radoboj  —  middle  mio- 
cene. 

Eugonia  atava. 

Subtropical  temperate 
America. 

North  temperate 
Zone. 

Pontia  Freycri. 

Subtropical  temperate 
America. 

North  temperate 
Zone. 

Mylothrites  Pluto. 

African. 

Indo-Malayan, 
Austro-  Malayan. 

GENERAL  RESUME,  WITH  NOTICES  OF  UNDETERMINED  FORMS. 


Nine  well  authenticated  fossil  butterflies  are  now  known,  all  from  the  Euro- 
pean Tertiaries ;  five  of  these  have  been  found  in  the  gypsum  beds  of  Aix  in 
Provence,  southern  France,  belonging  to  the  Ligurian,  a  division  of  the  upper 
eocene ;  one  in  the  lignites  of  Rott  in  the  Rhenish  Provinces  of  Prussia,  belonging 
to  the  Aquitanian,  or  lower  miocene;  and  three  in  the  marls  of  Radoboj  in  Croatia, 
Austria,  appertaining  to  the  Mayencian  or  middle  miocene.  Our  present  knowl- 
edge, then,  places  the  apparition  of  butterflies  towards  the  end  of  the  lower  terti- 
aries. 


84  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

As  a  general  rule  the  specimens  thus  far  discovered  are  in  a  fair  state  of  pres- 
ervation, and  especially  are  those  parts  preserved  which  enable  us,  with  consider- 
able confidence,  to  determine  their  exact  affinities.  Three  of  these  insects  belong 
to  the  highest  family  of  butterflies,  Nymphalcs,  four  to  the  Papilionidge,  and  two 
only  to  the  Urbicolse.  If  it  be  considered  probable  that  the  lowest  of  these  fami- 
lies was  the  oldest,  we  can  reasonably  account  for  the  scarcity  of  its  members  in 
the  tertiary  strata  by  the  fact  that  their  almost  universally  robust  and  muscular 
frame  enables  them  to  maintain  flight  when  they  have  lost  all  but  the  merest  stubs 
of  wings.  They  would  thus  seldom  meet  their  end  by  falling  into  pools  of  water, 
or  if  at  last  they  did,  it  would  be  with  fragments  of  wings  whose  affinities  could  not 
be  traced.  This  supposition  would  be  strengthened  on  noticing  that  one  of  the  two 
fossil  forms  classed  here,  Thanatites  vetula,  belongs  to  a  group  of  genera  which 
comprises  the  very  feeblest  flyers  in  the  family;  and  by  the  further  consideration 
that  two  of  the  three  fossil  Nymphalids  belong  to  the  weak-winged  Oreades. 
Eugonia,  as  well  as  Pamphilites,  were  doubtless  strong  and  bold  flyers;  while  the 
genera  of  Papilionidae  were  moderately  endowed.  To  proceed  further  in  the  analy- 
sis of  their  structural  relations,  two  of  the  three  Nymphales  belong,  as  we  have 
said,  to  the  highest  group  of  butterflies,  the  Oreades,  represented  now  by  the  dark 
brown  butterflies  of  our  meadows;  the  remaining  one  to  the  Praefecti,  a  group 
of  gaily  attired  butterflies  with  angulated  wings  like  our  common  thistle  butter- 
fly, the  cosmopolite.  Of  the  four  Papilionidaa,  three  belong  to  the  Danai;  two 
of  these  three  to  the  group  Fugacia,  represented  by  our  common  yellow  brimstone 
butterflies;  the  third  to  the  Voracia,  or  white  butterflies  of  the  garden,  so  destruc- 
tive to  cabbages  and  other  cruciferous  plants.  The  fourth  Papilionid  belongs  to 
the  lower  subfamily  Papilionides ;  not,  however,  to  that  group  which  contains  our 
swallow-tailed  butterflies,  but  rather  to  an  allied  tribe,  represented  in  America  only 
by  the  Parnasii  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  region.  The  two  Urbicolse  are  divided 
between  the  Hesperides  and  Astyci,  the  former  closely  related  to  the  dingy,  sylvan 
hesperians  of  early  spring,  seldom  seen  but  by  the  naturalist;  the  latter  to  the 
tawny,  brisk  little  skippers  busy  around  the  flowers  in  June. 

But  a  single  family  of  butterflies,  then,  is  unknown  in  a  fossil  state, — that  of 


GENERAL   KESUME.  85 

Rurales;  and  since  this  comprises,  in  the  main,  insects  of  exceedingly  delicate 
structure  and  of  small  size,  their  absence  is  by  no  means  unaccountable.  Yet,  as 
we  shall  see  further  on,  there  are  intimations  of  the  presence  of  some  of  their 
caterpillars  in  amber,  and  an  obscure  and  doubtful  reference  to  a  fossil  Polyom- 
matus  from  the  beds  of  Aix. 

If  we  enquire  where  the  allies  of  these  nine  fossil  butterflies  are  now  living1, 
we  must  seek  for  those  of  four  of  them  in  the  East  Indies;  for  those  of  three  of 
them  in  America,  and  especially  in  that  part  lying  on  the  confines  of  the  tropical 
and  north  temperate  zones;  for  those  of  one  of  them  in  the  north  temperate  zone 
of  both  Europe-Asia  and  America;  and  for  those  of  one  in  the  Mediterranean  dis- 
trict; for  those  of  two  only,  therefore,  out  of  the  nine,  or  less  than  one-fourth,  in 
the  region  where  the  fossils  were  discovered.  Analyzing  this  point  still  further, 
we  notice  that  three  out  of  the  four  species  whose  living  allies  are  to  be  sought  in 
the  East  Indies  come  from  the  older  deposits  of  Aix,  and  that  only  one  of  the  two 
remaining  Aix  species  shows  special  affinities  to  American  types;  we  thus  find 
here,  as  among  other  insects  and  among  the  plants,  a  growing  likeness  to  American 
types  as  we  pass  upward  through  the  European  tertiaries. 

The  study  of  the  floras  of  the  European  tertiaries  has  proceeded  so  far  that  in 
most  cases  we  are  able  to  find,  in  the  very  beds  where  the  butterflies  occur,  plants 
which  we  may  reasonably  judge  to  have  formed  the  food  of  these  insects  in  their 
earlier  stages.  In  but  a  single  instance  is  the  family  of  plants,  upon  which  it  was 
necessary,  or  almost  necessary,  to  suppose  the  caterpillar  fed,  entirely  absent  from 
tertiary  strata;  and  since  this  family  is  the  Cruciferae,  which  in  its  very  nature 
could  scarcely  have  left  a  recognizable  trace  of  its  presence,  the  exception  has  no 
force. 

After  presenting  these  facts,  for  convenience  sake,  in  a  tabular  form,  we  will 
pass  on  to  the  enumeration  of  those  fossils  which  have  been  referred  to  butterflies, 
but  whose  exact  position  is  still  unsettled. 

MEMOIUS   A.    A.    A.    8.  13 


86 


FOSSIL   BUTTEKFLIES. 


Parts  of  wings 
preserved. 

Perfect  wings  of 
one  side. 

Both  fore-wings 
nearly  perfect, 
superimposed. 

Upper  half  of  one 
fore-wing. 

Both  fore-wings 
nearly  perfect. 

Two  fore-wings 
superimposed. 

One  fore-wing 
nearly  perfect, 
but  neunition 
obscure. 

All  the  wings  ; 
those  of  one  side 
nearly  perfect. 

All  the  wings, 
but  superimposed 
and  very  obscure. 

One  fore-wing 
perfect  . 

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UNDETERMINED   FORMS.  87 

In  the  earliest  accounts  that  we  have  found,  including  all  those  in  the  last 
century,  the  generic  term  Papilio  was  used  for  all  Lepidoptera,  and  therefore  we 
cannot  be  certain  whether  butterflies  or  moths  are  meant.  Ehieber's  plates,  even, 
are  so  inferior  that  they  afford  no  additional  aid;  but  those  of  Sendel  possibly  repre- 
sent, as  we  have  noticed  in  the  Bibliography  at  the  commencement  of  this  memoir, 
the  early  stages  of  butterflies  preserved  in  amber.  The  only  other  direct  references 
to  butterflies  preserved  in  amber  are  the  following :  Gravenhorst,1  in  his  enumera- 
tion of  amber  insects,  gives  under  the  Lepidoptera  forty  specimens  referable  to 
Tineas  and  Tortrices,  and  besides  these  "mehre  Raupen,  siimmtlich,  wie  es  scheint, 
Schildraupen,  denen  des  Papilio  W.  album  ilhnlich."  The  probable  nature  of  the 
ancient  forest  yielding  amber  renders  it  unlikely  that  any  butterflies  in  their  per- 
fect state  would  be  found  in  it.  As  a  rule,  butterflies  are  eminently  fond  of  the 
light.  This  has  already  been  remarked  by  Menge:2 — "Das  fehlen  groszerer  schmet- 
terlinge  im  bernstein  deutet  auf  einen  finstern  undurchdringlichen  urwald,  den  die 
kinder  des  lichts  gemiedcn  haben."  Yet  as  some  Theclas  do  feed  upon  coniferous 
trees,  it  is  not  impossible  that  the  onisciform  larvse,  referred  to  by  Gravenhorst, 
may  belong  to  this  group.  As  far  as  we  can  discover,  no  further  reference  is 
made  to  them,  excepting  by  Giebel  and  Bronn  in  some  of  their  lists  and  enu- 
merations of  fossil  insects.  The  writings  of  Berendt,  Menge  and  others,  all  bear 
testimony  to  the  great  rarity  of  Lepidoptera  in  amber,  and  most  of  those  which 
have  been  discovered  belong  to  the  lowest  two  families,  above  referred  to. 

Dr.  Hagen  informs  me  that  he  has  himself  seen  specimens  of  large  butterflies 
in  amber,  but  that  these  proved  to  be  falsifications,  recent  European  insects  like 
Pieris  rapce,  etc.,  having  been  enclosed  between  slabs  of  amber,  which  were  then 
fastened  together  and  the  edges  roughened,  all  in  so  clever  a  manner  that  one  would 
not  suspect  them  to  be  spurious.  These  specimens  were  manufactured  many  years 
ago,  and  it  is  not  impossible  that  it  is  to  one  of  them  that  Hope  refers  in  1836,  as 
found  in  the  collection  of  Mr.  Strong,  though  why  he  should  quote  Berendt  as 
authority  I  cannot  discover. 

Heer,  in  the  introduction  to  the  lepidopterous  portion  of  his  "Insektenfauna 

'Arbeit.  .ScMesisch.  Ciesellscli.  VnUirl.  Kiiltur,  18.11.  !;i-«.  *  Priiginmni  I'etriscliule  Danzig,  1856-56,  4°,  p.  30. 


OO  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

der  Tertiargebilde  von  CEningen,"  says  (p.  175) :  "Karg  erwahnt  zwar  eines  sehr 
schonen  (Eninger-Schmetterlings,  der  nach  Zurich  gekommen  sein  soil.  Allein 
hier  findet  sich  dieser  nicht  und  die  Angabe  verliert  noch  mehr  an  Werth,  wenn 
wir  beriicksichtigen,  dass  Karg  das  Thier  nicht  selbst  gesehen  hat."  Karg's 
memoir  in  the  "Denkschriften  der  Schwabischen  Gesellschaft  der  Aertze  und 
Naturforscher,"  T.  I,  I  have  been  unable  to  examine. 

Boisduval,  in  his  final  report  upon  Neorinopis  sepulta,  remarks  that  Count 
Saporta  had  written  him  that  many  years  previously  he  had  sent  to  the  Paris 
Museum  a  "Polyommate  fossile"  from  Aix.  Count  G.  de  Saporta,  in  reply  to  my 
inquiries  concerning  this  specimen,  says  that  his  father  can  give  me  no  further 
information  concerning  this  specimen;  nor  could  M.  Oustalet  and  myself,  in  our 
search  through  the  fossil  insects  of  the  Jardin  des  Plantes,  discover  any  such  relic. 

In  a  recent  number  of  "Nature"  (No.  266),  Mr.  E.  J.  A'Court  Smith  writes 
of  the  discovery  at  Gurnet  Bay  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  of  an  insect  bed  in  which 
were  found,  among  other  things,  "a  variety  of  flies,  butterflies,  and  one  or  two 
grasshoppers;"  no  further  information  has  yet  been  published  concerning  these 
relics,  and  my  inquiries  upon  the  subject  have  not,  as  yet,  elicited  any  definite 
response. 


NOTICE   OF  INSECTS  WHICH  HAVE   BEEN  EEKONEOUSLY 
REFERRED  IN  RECENT  TIMES   TO  BUTTERFLIES. 


1.    Cyllonium  Boisdnvalianum  WESTW.,  and  C.  Hewitsonianum  WKSTW. 

These  two  insects  were  figured  by  Westwood  in  the  Quarterly  Journal  of  the 
Geological  Society  of  London  for  November,  1854,  the  former  (reproduced  in  our 
fig.  2)  on  PI.  XVH,  fig.  17;  the  latter  (reproduced  in  our  fig.  3)  on  PI.  XYHI, 
fig.  27.  Of  the  former  he  makes  the  following  remarks:1  "PI.  XVII,  fig.  17 
represents  a  number  of  fragments  of  delicate  tegument,  covered  with  minute  punc- 

<Loc.  cit.,  387. 


INSECTS   ERRONEOUSLY   REFERRED   TO   BUTTERFLIES. 


89 


Fig.  2. 
Uyllnninm  Boisduvalianura  Westw. 


tures  and  traversed  by  straight  and  somewhat  radiating  veins,  which  appear  like 

portions  of  the  hind  wing  of  some  species  of  Butterfly,  entirely  denuded  of  scales." 

The  name  is  given  to  it  in  a  note  to  the  explanation  of 

the  plates,  p.  395.     Concerning  the  second  he  says:1 

"PI.  XVIII,  figs.  27  and  30,  appear  to  be  portions  of 

the  hind  wings  of  some  species  of  Butterfly ;  still  they 

have  very  much  of  a  vegetable  aspect.     The  surface  is 

covered  with  minute  punctures,  which  may  be  the  cells 

for  the  insertion  of  the  quills  of  the  coloured  scales, 

which  are  all  removed,  supposing  the  specimens  to  be  Lepidopterous."    The  name 

we  have  quoted  is  given  only  to  fig.  27,  in  a  foot  note  on  p.  396. 

I  have  not  been  able  to  find,  even  with  Mr.  Brodie's  help,  the  first  specimen 
referred  to;  but  an  examination  of  the  original  of  the  latter 
(see  fig.  3)  proved  that,  while  it  is  unquestionably  an  insect, 
it  cannot  be  referred  to  the  Lepidoptera;  the  punctures  re- 
ferred to  are  both  too  large  and  much  too  irregularly  dis- 
posed to  have  been  the  points  of  insertion  of  the  scales ;  they 
are  probably  the  marks  of  the  insertion  of  hairs,  such  as  are 
not  uncommonly  seen  irregularly  scattered  over  the  wings  of 
insects  belonging  to  the  other  suborders.    As  the  figure  of 
the  first  species  closely  resembles  in  this  particular  the  one  I 

have  seen,  I  am  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  neither  of  these  wings  are  lepidop- 

terous.     Plainly,  the  only  reason  why  a  new  generic  name  was  appended  to  these 

forms  was  that  their  remains  were  too  fragmentary  to  afford  the  slightest  guess  as 

to  what  modern  genus  they  might  be  referred.     The  fossite  came  from  the  English 

Purbecks. 


C.vlloninni  Hewitsonianum 
Westw. 


2.    Palceontina  oolttica  BUTL. 


The  first  notice  I  find  of  this  remarkable  and  very  interesting  fossil  is  that 
published  in  various  literary  and  scientific   London  journals  reporting  remarks 


i  Loc.  cit.  390. 


90 


FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 


given  at  a  meeting  of  the  Entomological  Society  of  London,  and  which  afterward 

appeared  as  follows  in  their  Proceedings : I 

"Mr.  Butler  exhibited  a  remarkably  perfect  impression  of  the  wing  of  a  fossil 

butterfly  in  the  Stonesfield  slate.     It  appeared  to  be  most  nearly  allied  to  the  now 

existing  South  American  genus  Caligo." 

A  full  description  of  this  insect  soon  appeared  in  the  author's  "Lepidoptera 

Exotica,"  accompanied  by  a  plate;  both  were  afterward  rcpublished  in  the  "Geologi- 
cal Magazine."  In  fig.  4  we  reproduce  fig.  1 
of  his  plates,  representing  the  nenration  of 
Palasontina;  and  in  fig.  5,  fig.  2  of  his  plates, 
subsequently  copied  by  "The  Graphic."  A 
description  of  the  genus  and  species  is  first 
given,  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  reproduce 
here;  afterward,  the  following  remarks: 

"[12G]      Though    a    British    insect,    this 
species    belongs    to    a    group    so    completely 

tropical  that  I  do  not  hesitate  to  describe  and  figure  it  in  the  present  work; 


Fig.  4. 

Palieontina  oolitica  Butl. 
The  neuratiun,  after  Butler's  first  sketch. 


Fiff.  5. 
Pala-'ontina  oolitica  Butl.       Facsimile  of  Butlrr's  first  Bketo.h. 


its  nearest  allies  are  the  genera  Caligo,  Dasyophthalma  and  Brassolis,  all  three 
essentially  tropical  American  genera. 

"P.  oolitica  is  especially  interesting,  as  being  the  oldest  fossil  butterfly  yet  dis- 


•1872.  xxxi. 


INSECTS   EERONEOUSLY   REFERRED   TO   BUTTERFLIES.  91 

covered;  the  most  ancient  previously  known  to  science  having  been  found  in  the 
Cretaceous  series  (white  sandstone  of  Aix-la-Chapelle1),  whilst  the  bulk  of  the 
known  species  are  from  the  Lower  Miocene  beds  of  Croatia ;  it  is  also  interesting 
as  belonging  to  the  highest  family  of  butterflies,  and  to  a  subfamily  intermediate 
in  [127]  character  between  two  others,  namely,  the  Satyrinae  and  Nymphalinae, 
whilst  the  more  recently  discovered  fossils  are  referable,  with  one  exception,  to  the 
two  latter  groups.  The  nervures  appear  to  have  been  impregnated  with  iron,  which 
will  partly  account  for  their  well-defined  condition." 

Happening  to  be  in  London  not  long  after  the  publication  of  the  description 
and  illustration  of  this  insect,  I  took  pains  to  make  a  very  careful  examination 
both  of  the  original  specimen,  which  Mr.  Charlesworth  kindly  allowed  me  to  study 
at  my  leisure,  and  of  its  reverse,  which  is  preserved  in  the  School  of  Mines, 
Jermyn  street.  I  mentioned  to  Mr.  Butler  and  to  others,  my  conviction  that  the 
insect  was  to  be  considered  homopterous  rather  than  lepidopte'rous,  and  on  my 
return  to  America,  exhibited  before  the  Natural  History  Society  of  Boston,  draw- 
ings which  I  had  made  from  the  originals;  my  comments  at  that  time  were  pub- 
lished very  briefly,  as  I  was  reserving  the  proof  of  my  statements  for  the  present 
paper.  Mr.  Butler,  however,  was  induced  by  this  publication2  to  examine  the  re- 
verse at  the  Jermyn  street  Museum,  and  although  he  had  been  supplied  by  me  with 
a  rough  tracing  of  the  drawing  I  had  taken  of  it,  he  failed  to  be  convinced  of 
any  mistake,  and  published  a  paper  in  defence  of  his  own  view  in  the  Geological 
Magazine  for  October,  1874.  In  this  paper  he  gives  new  drawings  of  the  insect, 
quotes  portions  of  letters  in  which  I  had  expressed  my  opinions  upon  the  nature 
of  the  fossil,  gives  the  remarks  referred  to  from  the  "  Proceedings  of  the  Boston 
Society  of  Natural  History,"  and  makes,  among  others,  the  following  comments. 

"  Seeing  that  Mr.  Scudder  had  made  his  views  public,  I  felt  that  it  was  time 
for  me  to  take  similar  steps  on  my  side.  I  therefore  availed  myself  of  an  early 
opportunity  of  again  visiting  Jermyn  street,  where,  through  the  courtesy  of  the 
officers,  I  was  enabled  to  make  a  sketch  of  the  impression  in  the  Museum.  I 

i  Perhaps  Mr.  Butler  is  not  altogether  to  blame  in  confounding       Quarterly  Journal  of  the  Geological  Society  of  London,  VI,  72; 
Aix  in   Provence  with  A  ix-la-Chapcllc  ;  at  any  rate  the  mistake       the  error  is  corrected  by  Mr.  Butler  at  the  end  of  his  volume, 
had  been  made  previously  by  the  translator  of  Heer's  paper  in  the          » He  seems  not  to  have  seen  the  earlier  publication  of  Mr.  Brodie. 


92 


FOSSIL    BUTTERFLIES. 


Fig.  8. 

Falseontina  oolitica  I'.ull. 
Facsimile  of  Butler's  second  sketch. 


found  it  impossible  to  make  a  tracing  of  it,  and  therefore  drew  the  whole  by  meas- 
urement.    This  sketch  is  now  produced  on  PI.  XIX,  fig.  4  [see  fig.  6] ;  and  any 

body  can  judge  for  himself  whether  or 
not  it  is  more  perfect  than  that  which  I 
previously  figured  (see  Geol.  Mag.,  1873, 
Vol.  X,  p.  2,  PI.  I,  fig.  2  [see  fig.  5]  )." 

"In  order  to  show  the  extent  to  which 
the  Jermyn  street  example  is  deficient,  I 
have  restored  it  (fig.  5  [our  fig.  7]),  filling 
in  the  blanks  from  Mr.  Charlesworth's 
specimens.  By  comparing  the  latter  with 
the  wing  of  Dasyophtlialma  (fig.  1),  and 
Cicada  (fig.  2) ,  one  may  come  to  a  pretty 
accurate  conclusion  as  to  the  group  of  insects  to  which  it  ought  to  be  referred."1 

The  neuration  of  Lepidoptera  as  a  group  is  the  simplest  in  the  whole  order  of 
insects,  if  we  except  that  of  the  elytra  of  Coleoptera;  this  is  due,  doubtless,  to  the 
fact  that  their  wings  are  heavily  scaled,  con- 
cealing the  nervures;  just  as  in  Coleoptera, 
the  thickness  and  opacity  of  the  fore  wings 
often  completely  masks  the  neuration. 

The  normal  number  of  veins  in  the 
wings  of  insects  is  six,  disposed  to  a  cer- 
tain extent  in  pairs;  the  middle  pair  usually 
ramify  to  a  greater  extent  than  the  others,  and  support  most  of  the  membrane  of 
the  wing.  In  butterflies  the  foremost  vein  is  always  absent  and  very  commonly 
the  hindmost,  so  that  there  are  but  five  (often  but  four)  principal  veins,  usually 
designated,  though  not  very  appropriately:  costal,  subcostal,  median,  submedian 
and  (when  present)  internal,  reciting  them  in  their  order  from  in  front  back- 
ward. The  costal,  submedian  and  internal  nervures  are  invariably  simple  and 
terminate  at  the  margin,  or  are  occasionally  lost  in  the  membrane  of  the  wing. 
The  subcostal  and  median  nervures,  on  the  other  hand,  are  as  invariably  forked, 

'  Geol.  Mag.  [2]  I,  448. 


Fig.  7. 

Palaiontina  oolitica  Bntl. 
The  neuration,  after  Butler's  second  sketch. 


INSECTS   ERRONEOUSLY   REFERRED   TO   BUTTERFLIES.  93 

and  with  their  branches  support  nearly  the  entire  wing;  the  subcostal  nervure 
curves  downward  and  the  median  upward  so  as  to  meet,  or  nearly  to  meet,  not 
far  from  the  middle  of  the  wing,  and  to  enclose  between  them  a  large  space 
called  the  discoidal  cell;  the  branches  of  the  median  nervure  are  all  thrown  off 
from  its  lower  edge  before  union  with  the  subcostal;  the  principal  branches  of 
the  subcostal  nervure  are,  on  their  side,  thrown  off  from  its  upper  edge;  but, 
as  the  nervure  curves  downward  at  the  extremity  of  the  cell,  another  set  is 
thrown  off  (at  least  in  the  fore  wings)  from  the  lower  edge;  and  it  is  these 
veins,  rather  than  the  subcostal  nervure  proper-,  which  unite  with  the  median  to 
close  the  cell.1  None  of  the  median,  nor  any  of  the  inferior  subcostal  nervules 
are  ever  branched;  but  at  the  apex  of  the  wing,  where  the  play  of  neuration  is 
usually  the  greatest,  the  last  superior  subcostal  nervule  is  occasionally  forked 
in  the  front  wing.  This  is  the  only  forked  branchlet  in  either  of  the  wings. 

The  last  figure  of  P.  oolitica  given  by  Mr.  Butler  agrees  in  all  its  essential 
features  with  his  first  illustration.  They  both  represent  a  front  wing  with  four 
principal  nervures, —  costal,  subcostal,  median  and  submedian;  the  costal  nervure  is 
swollen  at  the  base  and  extends,  unbranched,  to  the  tip  of  the  wing;  the  median 
nervure  is  three-branched,  the  three  forks  simple,  equidistant,  emitted  from  the  api- 
cal half  of  the  vein,  which  at  its  extremity  is  united  by  a  cross  vein  to  a  branch  of 
the  subcostal,  closing  the  cell;  the  submedian  nervure  is  simple  and  divides  the 
space  between  the  median  vein  and  the  margin  of  the  wing.  So  far  all  is  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  lepidopterous  type;  but  when  we  examine  the  subcostal  vein, 
which  occupies  nearly  half  the  wing,  the  resemblance  ceases  altogether.  This  vein 
is  represented  as  bearing  no  superior  branches,  but  as  sending  out  from  its  inferior 
surface  three  distinct  veinlets,  the  first  and  second  of  which  again  emit  a  tributary 
from  their  inferior  surfaces.  This  is  a  structural  anomaly  which  finds  no  counter- 
part whatsoever  in  any  family  of  butterflies.  So  that  should  we  accept  Mr.  Butler's 
own  sketch  of  the  fossil  as  correct,  it  would  be  impossible  to  consider  the  wing 
that  of  a  butterfly. 

'These  veins  have  been  given  a  distinct  name  (discoidal)  by  belonging  to  the  wings  of  these  insects.    I  have  therefore  pre- 

the  English  Entomologists,  as  if  they  had  an  independent  origin,  ferred  to  speak  of  them  as  the  inferior  subcostal  nervules,  in 

and  had  nothing  to  do  wilh  the  subcostal  nervure;  but  by  the  use  contradistinction  to  the  superior  branches  of  the  same  vein, 
of  this  name,  we  wholly  lose  sight  of  the  simple  plan  of  neuration 

MEMOIRS   A.    A.    A.    8.  14 


94  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

In  his  description  of  the  insect  Mr.  Butler  compares  the  neuration  to  that  of 
Caligo,  and  says  its  nearest  allies  are  Caligo,  Dasyophthalma  and  Brassolis.  In 
his  latter  paper  he  figures  the  wing  of  a  Dasyophthalma  by  way  of  comparison. 
In  the  genera  named  all  the  branches  of  the  subcostal  nervure  are  simple,  and  are 
thrown  off  from  the  superior  surface,  excepting  the  single  set  which  is  emitted  from 
beneath,  and  which  marks  (as  in  all  butterflies)  the  limit  of  the  discoidal  cell  ;  this 
corresponds  fairly  with  the  first  set  of  inferior  veins  emitted  by  the  subcostal  vein 
in  the  fossil;  for  the  other  sets,  however,  no  counterpart  will  be  found  in  the  living 
types. 

It  was  probably  Mr.  Butler's  want  of  familiarity  with  fossils  that  led  him  to 
overlook  several  features  which  can  be  seen  in  these  originals.  Having  first  traced 
the  outline  of  the  wing  and  the  general  course  of  the  veins  directly  from  the 
specimens,  I  subsequently  filled  in  by  measurement  all  the  other  parts  which  I 

could  follow,  studying  each  vein,  or  supposed 
vein,  with  the  utmost  care,  from  one  end  to 
the  other  of  its  course.  The  result  of  that 
study  is  presented  in  fig.  8,  which  differs  es- 
sentially in  its  details  from  the  illustrations 

Fig.  8. 

?    Butlel>'     alld     1O°kS'     &S    he    himself 


P^ontina  oolitica  Butt. 

corrected  sketch  of  the  ..euration.  confesses,   "exceedingly  anti-lepidopterous." 

In  the  first  place,  the  wing  is  much  narrower  than  depicted  by  him;  and  at  the 
extremity  of  a  vein  (the  submedian  vein  of  Butler's  sketch)  there  is  a  slight  but 
decided  bending  inward  of  the  membrane,  as  very  frequently  occurs  at  the  line 
of  demarcation  between  the  middle  and  inner  area  of  the  wing  in  all  or  nearly 
all  the  lower  suborders  of  insects,  but  never,  so  far  as  I  am  aware,  in  Lepi- 
doptera.  What  he  has  given  as  a  simple  costal  vein  is  neither  swollen  at  the 
base  nor  simple,  but  has  two  inferior  branches  near  the  middle  of  the  wing, 
united  near  their  origin  by  an  oblique  cross  vein.  Branching  of  the  costal  vein 
is  unknown  in  Lepidoptera;  but  if  it  should  be  claimed  that  this  might  be  the 
subcostal,  just  as  much  difficulty  will  be  encountered  with  the  structure  and  re- 
lationship of  the  veinlets  below,  which  must  then  be  considered  as  belonging 


INSECTS   ERRONEOUSLY   REFERRED   TO   BUTTERFLIES.  95 

to  the  median  vein;  in  no  Lepidoptera  can  any  such  irregularity  be  shown, 
nor  so  disproportionate  a  magnitude  of  the  area  covered  by  the  median  nervure 
and  its  branches;  a  branched  internal  vein  and  cross-veins,  which  probably  united 
all  the  longitudinal  nervures  at  no  great  distance  from  the  outer  border  (but  which 
can  only  be  certainly  predicated  for  the  lower  three  median  interspaces),  place  this 
insect  wholly  beyond  the  pale  of  the  Lepidoptera.  It  is  but  fair  to  say  that  Mr. 
Butler,  having  examined  the  original  after  he  had  in  his  possession  a  tracing  of  fig. 
8,  denies  the  existence  of  the  cross-veins;  there  is  one  point,  however,  which  an 
unprejudiced  examination  of  the  fossil  cannot  fail  to  show;  that  Butler's  "fourth 
branch"  of  the  subcostal1  arises  not  from  his  third  branch,  but  from  his  upper  dis- 
coidal  vein;  if  he  can  reconcile  either  this  or  the  points  already  referred  to  (on  the 
supposition  that  his  sketch  is  otherwise  an  accurate  one)  with  the  neuration  of  any 
group  of  butterflies,  the  writer  will  be  the  first  to  acknowledge  it. 

As  our  only  purpose  in  this  place  is  to  deny  the  lepidopterous  character  of 
Palaeontina,  it  is  unnecessary  to  say  anything  in  defence  of  the  view  we  have 
expressed  of  its  homopterous  affinities;  the  superior  position  of  the  cell,  the  posi- 
tion and  character  of  the  lower  cross  veins  (which  we  believe  really  traversed  the 
entire  wing),  with  their  origin  at  the  indentation  of  the  lower  border,  suggest  such 
a  relationship,  although  there  are  not  a  few  points  in  which  it  differs  somewhat 
strikingly  from  living  types. 

The  discovery  of  a  fossil  in  the  cabinet  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Brodie,  which  was 
found  in  England  at  the  same  or  nearly  the  same  horizon,  as  P.  oolitica,  and  which 
seems  to  be  a  pupa  case  of  one  of  the  Cicadida  of  rather  unusual  size,  renders  my 
suggestion  more  worthy  of  credence. 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  latter  paper  Mr.  Butler  draws  attention  to  the  fact 
that  Messrs.  "Westwood  and  Bates  had  expressed  their  agreement  with  his  views. 
It  should,  however,  be  borne  in  mind,  that,  so  far  as  appears  from  any  facts  which 
have  been  published,  these  gentlemen,  whose  well  considered  views  upon  the  sub- 
ject would  unquestionably  be  of  great  weight,  expressed  this  assent  only  upon  a 
brief  evening  examination  of  a  very  obscure  fossil  in  a  poorly  lighted  hall,  and 
before  any  one  had  questioned  its  lepidopterous  character. 

i  In  this  case  he  counts  from  the  tip  of  the  wing,  in  reverse  order. 


EXPLANATION   OF   PLATES.  97 


EXPLANATION  OF   THE   PLATES. 

[My  best  thanks  are  due  to  my  courteous  friend  Mr.  Augnste  Sallti,  for  his  kind  agency  in  securing  an  artist  for  the  engraving 
of  these  plates.  Owing,  however,  to  the  distance  at  which  the  work  was  done,  a  few  errors  have  unavoidably  occurred,  which,  to 
prevent  misapprehension,  are  mentioned  below.] 

Plate  1. 

Fig.    1.     Eugonia  atava.     Copied  from  Hcer,  Insekt.  Tert;  OEning.,  il,  pi.  xiv,  flg.  3  (}); 
"       2.     Lethites  Beynesii.     Drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (\). 

"       3.     Euijonia  atava.    Copied  from  Charpentier,  Nov.  Act.  Leop.-CaroU,  xx,  ph  xxii,  flgi  4  (}). 
"       4.     Euyonia  j.-allnim.    Neuration  of  fore  wing;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (j).    The  second  superior  subcostal 

nervule  is  carried  too  far  toward  the  tip  of  the  wing. 
"       5.     Lethites  Iteynesii.    Fore  wing;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  ($•). 

"       C.    Eugonia  j.-album.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  fore  wing;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (j). 
"       7.    Eugonia  atava.    Neuration  of  tip  of  fore  wing  (f ) ;   copied  from  Heer(  Insekt.  Tert.  CEning.,  ii,  pi.  xiv, 

fig.  3'. 
"       8.     Neorinopis  sepulta.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  two  wings,  restored;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder 

(^).    The  drawing  represents  the  general  effect  of  the  fore  wing  as  darker  than  the  hind  wing,  and  in 

so  far  is  inaccurate. 

"       9.     The  same.    Neuration  of  the  two  wings,  separated ;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (f ). 
"     10.     The  same.    Neuration  of  the  two  wings,  as   seen  in  the  fossil;   drawn   by  S.  H.  Scudder  (j).     The 

engraver  has  unfortunately  made  the  lines  of  the  hind  wing  the  heavier,  as  if  it  lay  uppermost;  they 

should  have  been  the  lighter. 

"     11.     The  same.    Right  hind  leg;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (^). 
"     12.     The  same.    Left  hind  leg;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (f). 
"     13.     The  same.    Drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (|).      The  spot  of  the  medio-submedian  interspace  of  the  fore 

wings  has  not  been  well  rendered  by  the  engraver. 

"     14.     The  same.    Copied  from  Lefebvre,  Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  France  [2],  iJc,  pi.  iii,  II,  flg.  A  (|); 
"     15.     The  same.     Copied  from  the  same,  flg.  C  (|). 
"     16.     The  same.    Copied  from  the  same,  flg.  B  (\). 
"     17.     The  same.    Copied  from  Boisduval,  Ann.  Soc.  Ent.  Fr.,  ix,  pi.  8  (|). 


Plate  II. 

Fig.    1.     Zophoessa  Sura.    Neuration  of  the  wings;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  (|). 
"       2.     Mylothrites  Pluto.     Copied  from  Heer,  Insekt.  Tert.  CEning.,  ii,  pi.  xiv,  flg.  4  (•{•). 
"       3.    Zophoessa  Sura.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  wings;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  (|). 
"       4.     Delias  Pasithoe.    Neuration  of  the  wings ;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  (|). 
"       5.     Collates  Proserpina.    Neuration  and  markings  of  fore  wings;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (f).    The  tip  of 

the  costal  nervure  has  been  extended  too  far  toward  the  apex  of  the  wing. 
"       6.     Lethe  Dyrta.    Neuration  of  the  wings;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  (+). 
"       7.    Mylothrites  Pluto.    Neuration  of  the  wings ;  after  a  drawing  obtained  through  Mr.  Brunner  de  Watten- 

wyl  (|).    The  second  superior  subcostal  nervule  on  the  left  wing  should  join  the  nervure  midway 

between  the  bases  of  the  first  and  third  nervules. 


98  FOSSIL   BUTTERFLIES. 

Fig.  8.  Neorina  Lowi.    Neuration  of  the  wings;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  (^-). 

"  9.  Lethe  Dyrta.    Markings  of  the  lower  surface  of  the  fore  wing;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  ({). 

"  10.  Debts  Sinorix.    Neuration  of  the  wings;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  (|). 

"  11.  Zophoessa  Sura.    Markings  of  the  lower  surface  of  the  fore  wing;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  (f). 

"  12.  Pontia  Protodice.    Neuration  and  markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  fore  wing ;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (}.) 

"  13.  Neorina  Lowi.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  wings;   drawn  by  G.  Willis  (j).     This  was  drawn 

for  the  pattern  of  markings  only;  the  neuration  is  faulty. 

"  14.  Debis  Sinorix.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  wings;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  ('). 

"  15.  Mylothrites?  sp.     Copied  from  Heer,  Insekt.  Tert.  (Ening.,  ii,  pi.  xiv,  flg.  5  (}). 

"  16.  Pontia  Freyeri.     Copied  from  Heer,  Insekt.  Tert.  (Ening.,  ii,  pi.  xiv,  flg.  6  (j). 

"  17.  Mylothrites  Pluto.     After  a  drawing  from  the  original,  furnished  by  Mr.  Brunner  de  Wattenwyl  (|). 

"  18.  Pontia  Freyeri.    Drawn  from  the  original  under  the  direction  of  Mr.  Brunner  de  Wattenwyl  (]). 


Plate  III. 

Fig.    1.     Thaites  Buminiana.    Neuration  of  the  wings,  restored;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (|). 

"       2.     Thais  Bumina.    Neuration  of  the  wings;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  ({). 

"       3.     Thaites  Buminiana.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  wings,  restored ;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (f). 

"       4.     Thais  Bumina.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  wings ;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (|). 

"       5.    Parnassius  Smintheus.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  and  neuration  of  the  wings:   drawn  by  S.  H. 
Scudder  (}"). 

"       6.     Thaites  Bitminiana.    One  of  the  wing-covers  (patagia) ;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (^ ). 

"       7.     The  same.     Portion  of  the  palpi;  from  a  camera  sketch  by  S.  H.  Scudder  W). 

"       8.     The  same.    Antenna;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  0). 

"       9.     The  same.    From  a  camera  sketch  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (}•). 

"     10.     The  same.    Drawn  under  the  camera  from  the  reverse  of  flg.  9,  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (?). 

"     11.     Thanaos  Juvenalis.     Drawn  in  the  position  of  flg.   12  by  J.   II.  Kmerton  (j);   flg.  11  a,  the   palpus, 
denuded  (f). 

"     12.     Thanatites  vetula.    Drawn  in  outline  by  an  artist  in  the  employ  of  H.  Woodward,  Esq.,  of  the  British 
Museum,  and  filled  in  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (*^).     Incorrectly  named  Thanatites  Juvenalis  on  the  plate. 

"     13.     Carystus  Lucasii.    Neuration  of  fore  wing.    Drawn  by  G.  Willis  ({). 
•  "     14.     Parnphilites  abdita.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  the  fore  wing;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  (f). 

"     15.     Pansydia  Mesogramma.    Neuration  and  disposition  of  spots  on  the  fore  wing ;   copied  from  Poey,  Cent. 
Lep.  Cuba,  2«  Dec.  (|). 

"     16.     Thanatites  vetula.     Copied  from  Heyden,  Palseontogr.,  viii,  pi.  i,  flg.  10  (±?).     Incorrectly  named  Thana- 
tites Juvenalis  on  the  plate. 

"     17.    Pamphilites  abdita.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  fore  wing;  drawn  by  S.  II.  Scudder  (\). 

"     18.     The  same.    Neuration  and  disposition  of  the  spots  on  the  fore  wing;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder  0). 

"     19.     Carystus  Lucasii.    Markings  of  the  upper  surface  of  fore  wing;  drawn  by  G.  Willis  (j). 


LIST    OF   WOOD   CUTS.  99 


LIST    OF    WOOD    CUTS. 

Fig.  1  (p.  50).    Mylothrites  Pluto.    Outlines  to  show  the  disparity  in  size  of  the  two  insects  referred  to  this  species 

by  Heer ;  drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder ;  engraved  by  S.  S.  Kilburn. 
"     2  (p.  89).     Cyllonium  Boisduvalianum.     Copied  by  photography  from  Westwood,  Quart.  Journ.  Geol.  Soc. 

Loud.,  x,  pi.  xvii,  flg.  17;  engraved  by  H.  Marsh. 
"     3  (p.  89).     Cyllonium  Hewttsonianmn.      Copied  by  photography  from  the  same,  pi.  xvili,  p.  27;   engraved  by 

H.  Marsh. 
"     4  (p.  90).     Palceontina  oolitica.    Copied  by  photography  from  Butler,  Lep.  Exot.,  pi.  xlvili,  flg.  1;   engraved 

by  H.  Marsh. 

"     5  (p.  90).     The  same.     Copied  by  photography  from  the  same,  flg.  2;  engraved  by  H.  Marsh. 
"     6  (p.  92).     The  same.    Copied  by  photography  from  Butler,  Geol.  Mag.,  [2]  i,  pi.  xix,  flg.  4;  engraved  by  H. 

Marsh. 

"     7  (p.  92).     The  same.    Copied  by  photography  from  the  same,  flg.  5;  engraved  by  H.  Marsh. 
"     8  (p.  94).     The  same.    Drawn  by  S.  H.  Scudder;  engraved  by  S.  S.  Kilburn. 


ERRATA. 

Page  19,  line  4;  for  voiced  read  voici. 

"    29.    The  first  three  lines  form  a  part  of  the  quotation  from  Butler,  and  should  have  been  but  single-leaded. 

"    51,  note;  for  Daveai,  read  Danui. 

"    58.  line  9;  for  before  the  cell,  read  before  the  tip  of  the  cell. 

"    62,  line  13;  for  fig.  2,  read  flg.  11. 


Memoirs  Amer.  Assoc.Adv.  Science  I. 


Plate    I. 


1,3,  7       E-ufionia.     atava.          lj.,6      EuSonia,       J- album.         2,5     Lethites     Reynesii.         8    17     Neorinopis     sepulta. 


Memoirs  Amer.  Assoc.  Adv.  Science.  I. 


Plate     II. 


Dcbray  sc 


i,  3,  LI   ZopKoessa,  Sura.     2,7,17   Mylothrites    Pluto.     4., Delias    Pasithoe.     5.  Collates   Proserpina         6,9   Lethe    Dyrta. 
8,  i3     Neorina    Lowii.     10,  i(^    DeLis     Sinorix.      12      Pontia       Protcdice.      i5    Mylothrites   ?       16,  18      Pontia.      Freyeri. 


<n'iit:.,  fart*-. 


Memoirs    Amer.  Assoc.  Adv.  Science    I. 


Plate  III. 


i,5,6-io     Thajtes     Rumimana..        2,4,     Thais     Ruimna.        5     Parnassius     Smintheus.        n     Thanaos     Juvenalis  . 
12,16   Thanatites  Juvenalis.    i3,  19     Carystus     Lucasu.     it,  17,  18    Pamphilites     abdita.       j5     Paneydia    Meso^ramma. 


'/'.  i'is    t'/i,i/,/i'n 


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Memoirs  of  the  American 
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